The Trump administration has unveiled plans for its Golden Dome missile defence initiative, a $175 billion program designed to create a four-tiered protective shield over the United States. According to a government presentation obtained by Reuters, the project is expected to reach operational readiness by 2028, a deadline described as highly ambitious given the system’s complexity.
Structure and Design
Golden Dome will combine both space-based and ground-based defences. The architecture calls for one orbital layer of sensors and interceptors to track and neutralize threats, supported by three terrestrial layers. These ground elements will include missile interceptor fields, radar networks, and potentially directed-energy weapons.
Plans currently list 11 short-range interceptor batteries stationed across the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. A new missile field is also expected to be developed in the Midwest to support Next Generation Interceptors (NGI), produced by Lockheed Martin, in coordination with the existing Ground-Based Midcourse Defence (GMD) facilities in Alaska and California.
Funding and Uncertainty
While $25 billion has already been allocated through a recent tax-and-spending bill, and $45.3 billion is proposed in the 2026 budget, the program’s precise requirements remain unsettled. The presentation acknowledged that critical decisions, such as the number of launchers, interceptor missiles, and radar sites, have yet to be finalised.
Analysts note that the project carries significant financial and logistical risks. Observers pointed out that while funding is substantial, the full cost of the program is still indeterminate, leaving uncertainty over the final budgetary impact.
Strategic Goals
Golden Dome takes inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome but must operate on a much larger scale to counter varied threats across a vast geographic area. A central objective of the system is to intercept hostile missiles during their ‘boost phase,’ when they are still climbing through the atmosphere at relatively slow speeds. Achieving this would likely require the deployment of advanced space-based interceptors, a capability the United States has not yet developed.
The final ‘under layer’ of defence is expected to integrate updated radar systems, existing platforms like the Patriot missile system, and a new modular launcher capable of firing current and future interceptors. The mobile design of these assets would allow rapid relocation across different theatres of operation.
Industry and Technical Challenges
Several major defence contractors, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, and Boeing, are engaged in competing roles within the project. However, companies such as SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril were not highlighted in the recent presentation despite earlier involvement in contract bids.
Key technical hurdles identified include overcoming communication delays across the missile interception ‘kill chain’ and developing vehicles capable of withstanding reentry heat while still pursuing and destroying targets.
Leadership and Timeline
The program is now being led by General Michael Guetlein of the US Space Force, who was confirmed to the role in mid-July. Under directives outlined by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Guetlein has 30 days to assemble a leadership team, 60 days to deliver an initial design, and 120 days to provide a full implementation roadmap, including details on satellite deployment and ground infrastructure.
Despite the ambitious goals and high financial commitment, officials caution that it is too early to disclose further details, emphasizing that the system is still in its formative stages.
