Golden Dome missile defence to cost estimated USD175 billion

Boeing-built Ground-Based Midcourse Defense – which came into the fleet in 2004 – is one of the missile defence capabilities that Golden Dome is expected to modernise. (Boeing)

The new vision for missile defence architecture, Golden Dome, is expected to come with a USD175 billion price tag, US President Donald Trump announced on 20 May.

Part of that total cost will come from a USD25 billion funding line in the budget reconciliation legislation that is now working its way through Congress. It is a “down payment” on the eventual billions of dollars that it could take to get the architecture “fully operational” by the end of his term in early 2029, Trump said during a press briefing.

“Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they are launched from space,” he said. The architecture, which will involve technology across the services, will target hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, and advanced cruise missiles.

The Pentagon has been working on the layout of the defence architecture since January 2025 when Trump signed an executive order, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said during the briefing. The Golden Dome would take the place of ageing missile defence capabilities, which officials have been trying to modernise in recent years.

Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the US Space Force have published some requests for information (RFIs) and market surveys. The organisations will host an industry summit on 11 June 2025, according to a Department of Defense (DoD) notice published on 13 May.

Space Force's Vice Chief of Space Operations General Michael Guetlein will oversee the build of the missile defence architecture, Trump said.