Golden Dome cost estimate draws Pentagon pushback

Key Points:

• Federal officials are divided over the projected cost of the Pentagon’s Golden Dome missile defense network, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating at least $1.2 trillion over 20 years, while the Pentagon projects $185 billion over the next decade.
• The CBO’s estimate is based on publicly available data and past technologies like Patriot missile batteries, as the Golden Dome program office has not cooperated with the CBO for detailed briefings.
• Golden Dome aims to create a comprehensive missile and drone defense system by integrating existing military sensors and weapons with new space-based interceptors, but its exact deployment strategy remains unclear.
• Congress has already allocated $22.5 billion to start building the network, with most of the funds obligated within six months, and additional funding of $400 million in the fiscal 2027 base budget plus $17 billion potentially available through a new reconciliation bill.
• Pentagon officials emphasize recent successful tests of the system and plan for operational defense by summer 2028, while lawmakers view continued appropriations as critical to advancing this high-priority national security project.