Golden Dome, the developing American version of Israel’s Iron Dome, is a concept birthed out of the January 25, 2025, Executive Order (EO) 14186, titled The Iron Dome for America. The initiative is a directive to the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop a missile shield covering the continental United States. Potentially costing hundreds of billions, or even trillions over the next 20 years, the most recent funding identified for this effort can be found in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), P.L. 119-21 and in President Trump’s FY27 defense budget request.
I think the big difference [from the current missile defense architecture] is Golden Dome takes all of the existing requirements that we had [and] — for the first time — integrates multiple layers into one system.
General Guillot, NORTHCOM Commander,
May 1
At the start of the program, funding details were few but could be discerned through traditionally funded missile defense programs in the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and military services. General Guetlein, US Space Force was appointed in July 2025 as the Direct Reporting Program Manager for Golden Dome. In this role Guetlein oversees $175-185 billion in funding and reports directly to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. Golden Dome’s “portfolio of capabilities, [includes]… establishing partnerships with industry, academia, national labs and other government agencies to rapidly develop and field next-generation defensive capabilities.”
Currently, the main source of available funding for Golden Dome is outlined in OBBBA Section 20003, Enhancement of Department of Defense Resources for Integrated Air and Missile Defense. Together, subsections, (a) Next Generation Missile Defense and (b) Layered Homeland Defense, provide over $24 billion in mandatory funding available until September 30, 2029. This funding is spread throughout missile defense programs. In the FY27 discretionary budget request for Golden Dome for America Fund, $397.9 million can be found in the Research, Development, Test and Evaluation appropriation title. This is in addition to $17.5 billion included in the $350 billion FY27 mandatory request.
There are four initiatives directly associated with Golden Dome for industry participation – MDA SHIELD, Space Based Interceptor awards, and the Golden Dome for America Hub.
MDA SHIELD
The MDA SHIELD (Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense) multiple award Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract is a 10-year (December 2025-December 2035), $151 billion vehicle designed to support the Golden Dome initiative by “delivering continuous, layered defense against air, missile, space, cyber, and hybrid threats.” To date, there have been three award tranches: 1,014 awards on December 2, 2025; 1,086 awards on December 8; and 340 on January 15, 2026, bringing the total to 2,440 contractors qualified to compete for task orders. This massive contract vehicle stretches across 19 technical domains including prototyping, R&D, architecture development, modeling, and sustainment to enterprise IT solutions.
GOLDEN DOME FOR AMERICA HUB
The newest initiative for industry, and for DOD to survey possible technical solutions and industry partners, is the Golden Dome for America Hub. The “ecosystem hub” allows defense partners, both traditional and non-traditional, commercial and public organizations to present “mission-critical technologies” for evaluation, validation and transition.
To defeat a new generation of sophisticated, maneuvering aerial threats, we must build a defensive shield that adapts faster than the adversary.
General Guetlein, Director of Golden Dome for America,
August 11
Operating as an open website with a digital portal connecting to the Golden Dome program office, the department encourages industry to register, create an account and share capabilities related to five focus areas related to missile defense: Find, Fix and Assess, Track, Target, and Engage. Radars, sensors, artificial intelligence, command and control, interceptors, and cybersecurity are some of the subcomponents of the five areas. Currently, there is one “opportunity” for prototyping, using other transaction authority contracts.
SPACE-BASED INTERCEPTOR
The third initiative falling squarely under the Golden Dome umbrella is the quest to develop a Space-Based Interceptor. To date, no country on earth has achieved this technical feat. The department has targeted $3.2 billion to support industry’s quest on its behalf, choosing to award the funding through a prize-based acquisition model where commercial companies invest early and compete for additional funding at designated milestones. To date, 12 companies, including Anduril, SpaceX and Lockheed Martin Corporation, have received Other Transaction Authority awards to support companies’ self-funded efforts. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Space Based Interceptor System would cost $743 million over 20 years. Director Guetlein has said if the system proves too costly to bring to fruition, the department will stop pursuing the technology. However, for now, he is willing to set aside billions to see what can be done.
GOLDEN DOME C2 CONSORTIUM
Lastly, as with many mission areas, a consortium was established in late 2025 for Golden Dome Command and Control (C2). The group consists of nine companies, each possessing independent contracts with the department. In various talks earlier in 2026, Gueltlin shared he has regular contact with this group who hold each other accountable as DOD maintains the role of lead integrator. The impetus for creating the group was the acknowledgement by the six original contractors that no one company could build the C2 layer, but could as an interchangeable team, just like the open system architectures of the emerging Golden Dome.
Golden Dome activities are moving forward as the department pushes industry to fund much of their efforts. Decisions about FY27 Defense Appropriations and the President’s $350 billion reconciliation request have been deferred.
Mid-term election results will affect whether defense funding is approved in December or slides into 2027. The $17.5 billion identified for Golden Dome in the mandatory FY27 budget request is in greater jeopardy of being reduced or not funded due to the lack of consensus on President Trump’s push to provide more funding for Golden Dome and other priorities outside the annual appropriations process. The department could reprogram funding for Golden Dome in FY27 but with industry leaders willing to source themselves in these beginning stages, the Administration may delay its push for the second multi-billion-dollar installment for Golden Dome to FY28.