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Investing.com -- The Pentagon has submitted multiple proposals to the White House for developing “Golden Dome,” a sweeping missile defense system championed by U.S. President Donald Trump that could ultimately cost more than $500 billion over two decades, CNN reported on Monday, citing multiple sources familiar with the planning.
The concept envisions a space-based shield capable of defending the U.S. homeland from advanced missile threats, including intercontinental ballistic missiles and hypersonic weapons. While $25 billion has been set aside in the upcoming defense budget, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the full implementation could exceed half a trillion dollars.
The Pentagon has presented small, medium, and large-scale options for the system, with Trump expected to choose a path – and its price tag – in the coming days.
“The Secretary of Defense and other Department leaders have engaged with the President to present options and look forward to announcing the path forward in the coming days,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told CNN.
Golden Dome is set to become a massive effort involving both government agencies and private contractors. CNN reported that SpaceX, Anduril, and Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) have all pitched their involvement, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “has indicated he wants what they’re selling,” according to the report.
A new “golden dome czar” will be appointed to oversee the program, with Gen. Michael A. Guetlein among the top candidates for the role, the report said.
Despite its ambition, the program is still largely conceptual. One senior congressional official reportedly told CNN that the proposal includes around 100 programs, most of which already exist within the Defense Department. The only “entirely new” element would be the system’s command and control integration layer.
The initiative has already encountered early delays. Trump had directed the Pentagon to deliver implementation options by March 28, but CNN revealed the White House didn’t receive them until nearly a month later. The setback, coupled with internal frustrations over responsiveness from Defense Secretary Hegseth’s team, has fueled concerns about execution.
A recent Defense Intelligence Agency assessment warned of growing threats from adversaries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Trump has argued for a U.S. missile shield modeled on Israel’s Iron Dome, but experts caution the systems are vastly different in scale and complexity.
“I’m 34 years in this business. I’ve never seen an early estimate that was too high,” Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations, said last week when asked by Politico about the cost. “It’s the nature of the business.”