In May, President Donald Trump announced an ambitious new missile-defense initiative dubbed the “Golden Dome.” The proposed next-generation system — reminiscent of Ronald Reagan’s stalled 1980s “Star Wars” initiative — would shield the nation using a network of space-based sensors and interceptors. Trump said it would be fully operational by 2029.
But, 10 months later, the Golden Dome has barely gotten off the ground.
This is due, in part, to the fact that the White House has held back billions in congressionally approved funds, meaning industry leaders haven’t been able to ramp up their work on the project, insiders and ex-defense department staffers told Politico.
“The whole thing is at risk,” a former Pentagon official said.
Because the administration hasn’t tapped the $23 billion in funds approved for the defensive architecture, the Pentagon has instead relied on doling out piecemeal contracts to begin developing the space-based interceptors.
The Independent reported in November that the U.S. Space Force had awarded multiple small contracts to firms to develop prototypes for the defensive shield. Each of the contracts are for less than $9 million, and the companies granted them have not been named.
“Behind the scenes, of course industry is a bit frustrated,” one unnamed industry representative told Politico. “Setting up a prize mechanism instead of putting companies on contract when there are billions appropriated is frustrating.”
Companies are reluctant to pour their own money into the Golden Dome since many fear the massive project may not outlast the next administration, given the complexity and unproven nature of the technology.
“I don’t think anyone in industry is banking on [space-based interceptors] surviving into the next admin,” another industry representative said. “To the extent possible, they are going to package together existing [research and development] efforts and bank on the Trump admin deciding to spend money faster to show progress.”
“They don’t necessarily understand how it’s all going to come together into a workable system,” Elaine McCusker, a former Pentagon comptroller, told Politico. “There’s all these lines of effort, and some of them are out for industry competition, and some of them the government plans on doing itself. And so it’s kind of like, how are they going to do that?”
Still, the Trump administration has signaled that the project is on schedule.
The Golden Dome office “continues to meet the goals” outlined in Trump’s executive order on the project, the Pentagon said in a statement to the outlet, noting that the plan’s implementation is “dynamic,” but that the foundational elements are now firmly in place.
And Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein said the Pentagon plans to test out a space-based interceptor in two years, though little is known about this proposed plan.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent.
Members of Congress have also telegraphed their dissatisfaction with the slow progress being made.
Lawmakers have not yet been given plans on how the Defense Department aims to spend the $23 billion allocated to the project this summer.
Rep. Jeff Crank, a Colorado Republican, said he’s waiting for further communications from the Trump administration.
“That’s essentially what we’re waiting for, is that sign off from the White House, and then I think that they’ll begin allocating all the money that was appropriated,” Crank said. “And that has been, again, for those of us that support the president’s goal here, certainly frustrating, and I’m sure frustrating to the president.”
Defense officials have said that the project is shrouded in secrecy partly because of threats from adversaries, with Guetlin stating last month that there have already been attempts to hack into the “defense industrial base.”
Further complicating the effort has been Trump’s threats towards Greenland — a semi-autonomous territory of U.S. ally Denmark that could be an important part of the Golden Dome project.
