The Golden Dome: Ambitious Plan to Shield the U.S. from Evolving Threats
Forty years after President Ronald Reagan first envisioned a comprehensive defense shield, advancements in technology are prompting defense industry leaders to declare the feasibility of building an invisible "Golden Dome" over the United States. This ambitious project, comprised of space-based radars, missile interceptors, and laser weaponry, aims to safeguard the nation from an increasingly complex array of threats.
The concept gained fresh momentum under President Donald Trump, who, inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, directed the Defense Department to initiate plans for a U.S. counterpart in January. However, the scale and scope of protecting the U.S. present unique challenges compared to Israel. Israel, roughly the size of New Jersey, faces primarily short-range threats from neighboring countries. In contrast, the U.S. must contend with adversaries like North Korea, Iran, Russia, and China, located across the globe and equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and hypersonic weapons.
These factors raise critical questions about the Golden Dome’s capabilities and coverage. Will it encompass the entire country, including Hawaii, Alaska, and U.S. military bases in locations like Guam? Will it be able to protect against short-range missiles, long-range missiles, unmanned aircraft, and manned aircraft?
Space Force General Michael Guetlein has emphasized the need for a Manhattan Project-scale, whole-of-government effort to bring the Golden Dome to fruition. The Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget are expected to present a funding plan to the White House later this month, providing further insights into the project’s scope and timeline.
Despite the challenges, defense industry leaders remain optimistic about the technological feasibility of the Golden Dome. Raytheon president Phil Jasper emphasized the need for a layered system, recognizing that different threats require different defensive approaches. Raytheon, a major U.S. defense contractor, produces the Patriot missile system, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and various radar and air defense systems.
The U.S. already employs a layered missile defense system known as the Command, Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC) System, which uses radar to detect incoming missiles and launch interceptors. The system includes technologies like the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) battery to intercept ballistic missiles and the Patriot to intercept cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and aircraft. However, the country currently has only seven active THAAD batteries deployed globally, with an eighth expected to become operational this year.
General Guetlein believes that building the Golden Dome will require a collaborative effort involving the Missile Defense Agency, Air Force, Army, Navy, Space Force, Coast Guard, and other relevant agencies.
Defense contractors envision a phased approach, with initial protection zones established around major cities like New York and Washington, D.C., or sensitive military sites, before expanding to cover the entire homeland. Edward Zoiss, president of space and airborne systems for L3Harris Technologies, said the ultimate goal is to protect the entire U.S. with a comprehensive "dome."
Jasper predicts that some defensive measures could be installed relatively quickly, potentially as early as 2026. The administration’s building block approach allows for the protection of specific areas and regions, with continued system production and deployment over time.
BlueHalo CEO Jonathan Moneymaker views the Golden Dome as less of a technology problem and more of an organizational structure challenge. He highlights the need to effectively integrate existing capabilities at a grand scale, introducing new elements to optimize performance.
Lockheed’s vice president of technology and strategic innovation, John Clark, stresses the importance of leveraging existing resources within the Pentagon. Deploying defense infrastructure at home could draw down current inventory for potential global conflicts, but he suggests that resources pulled from an Army base could be backfilled later for global use.
Zoiss, whose company has built satellites for the Missile Defense Agency that could be used for space-based radar systems, identifies the evolving nature of missile trajectories as a key challenge. Traditional ICBMs followed predictable parabolic paths, but new cruise weapons and hypersonic weapons are highly maneuverable, making their endpoints uncertain. Defensive systems must adapt to track these weapons throughout their entire trajectories.
Zoiss emphasizes the critical role of space-based radar in addressing threats to the homeland. He argues that long-range, maneuvering weapons can evade land-based and sea-based radar systems, necessitating a shift to space-based architecture for fire control ordnance.
The Golden Dome could build upon existing missile defense initiatives, such as the National Capital Region Integrated Air Defense System, which protects Washington, D.C., and employs systems like the Norwegian National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). It could also draw inspiration from smaller-scale projects, such as the Army’s Iron Dome-like air defense system in Guam, known as the Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment 2 system, and its high-powered microwave systems for neutralizing drone swarms. The Marine Corps plans to field three mobile air defense systems this year, including a modified Iron Dome launcher.
Additional needs include over-the-horizon radar, particularly in the Arctic region, to detect low-flying missiles that exploit the Earth’s curvature to avoid detection.
General Guetlein calls for breaking down the barriers between Title 10 and Title 50 of the United States Code, which govern the nation’s defense and clandestine operations, respectively. He emphasizes that organizational behavior and culture will be crucial in bringing all the necessary pieces together.
Funding for the Golden Dome is expected to be outlined in President Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget request to Congress. Even with initial funding, the project is expected to take years to complete and will require substantial investment.
Steven Morani, acting undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, acknowledged the "formidable" challenges of the project and emphasized collaboration with the private sector to address them. He stated that the administration is working with the industrial base and supply chain to overcome challenges associated with standing up the Golden Dome.
The Golden Dome represents a bold vision for defending the U.S. against evolving threats. While significant technological and organizational challenges remain, the project’s potential to provide a comprehensive and layered defense shield has spurred renewed interest and investment in advanced missile defense systems.
