‘Golden Dome’ Costs Surge To Nearly $200 Billion, Likely To Reach $1 Trillion

Click to see the full-size image

The American Military Industrial Complex is exhilarated with such a windfall (considering the system’s costs). Such a project has many similarities with the (First) Cold War-era SDI (also known as “Star Wars”). Still, the idea of space-based weapons is a highly disturbing development that would lead to an inevitable militarization of space. The “Golden Dome” is expected to be able to “intercept targets in their boost phase” and “deploy relocatable defenses capable of rapid global deployment”. This is a clear violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (OST).

Written by Drago Bosnic, independent geopolitical and military analyst

As the United States continues its unilateral militarization of space, budgets for projects such as the “Golden Dome” keep surging. Several reports indicate that it will increase by $10 billion, reaching $185 billion. Reuters reports that the Pentagon plans to “accelerate key space-based ‌capabilities” and that this requires additional funding. Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon) and Northrop Grumman have also joined as “prime contractors”. In addition to expanding “ground‑based defenses such as interceptor missiles, sensors and command‑and‑control systems while adding space‑based elements meant to detect, track and potentially counter incoming threats from orbit”, the US military wants “advanced satellite networks and still‑debated weaponry in orbit”.

The project manager, Space Force General Michael Guetlein, stated that “three programs would benefit from the additional funding”. This includes the Advanced Missile Tracking Initiative (AMTI), a space data network and HBTSS (Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor). HBTSS is described as “a space-based sensor system designed to detect and track hypersonic and ballistic missile threats”. It’s seen as a priority, as the US still struggles to catch up with even Iran and North Korea in hypersonic weapons (much less China and Russia). The new budget covers what General Guetlein called the “objective architecture, a full-capability system to be delivered over the next decade”. He also insisted that the “Golden Dome’s” potential cost won’t go beyond $1 trillion, rejecting such concerns as “unfounded”.

General Guetlein stated that space-based interceptors ⁠are “the program’s highest-risk element”, citing scalability and affordability as the central challenge. He added that “directed energy weapons and next-generation artificial intelligence represent the most promising technologies for driving down cost-per-kill and increasing magazine depth”. This is also in line with the Pentagon’s militarization of advanced AI, which opens the Pandora’s box of escalation that will inevitably result in a new arms race. Recent reports about the dangers of combining AI with nuclear weapons also demonstrate just how irresponsible this approach is. However, as if that wasn’t bad enough, Washington DC wants to add yet another layer to this volatile mix by militarizing space.

Namely, in addition to three ground-based missile defense layers, there would also be a fourth, space-based component. The “upper layer” would be composed of Next Generation Interceptors (NGI), Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and “Aegis” systems, with a new missile field “likely in the Midwest”. This would be followed by the “under layer” composed of “Patriot” systems, new radars and a “common launcher for current and future interceptors”. The space-based “boost-phase interception” capability is particularly curious. Although the Pentagon didn’t really reveal how this would be accomplished, basic common sense implies that this is either deliberate disinformation (like the infamous Strategic Defense Initiative or SDI was) or the US is actively pursuing space-based weapons.

The aforementioned NGI is the next iteration of GBI (Ground-Based Interceptors), which is part of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD). This system is a nationwide network of radars, interceptors and other assets that the US planned for decades, even unilaterally withdrawing from the 1972 ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile) Treaty back in 2002, so it could pursue the project. This arms control agreement served to prevent the US and USSR/Russia from being incentivized to endlessly enlarge their thermonuclear arsenals by limiting the number of deployed ABM systems. The logic was that whoever acquired better missile defenses would only force the other side to increase their offensive potential to enable saturation attacks that would inevitably overcome all ABM systems.

Although the treaty was by no means perfect, it still slowed down the growth in the number of warheads and delivery systems. However, after the unfortunate dismantling of the Soviet Union, the US believed Russia would be unable to revive its massive military-industrial potential, meaning that the aforementioned ABM Treaty was now “holding America back” in its quest for total global dominance. And yet, the opposite happened. Moscow not only reactivated much (if not most) of its military-industrial might, but actually restarted a number of highly advanced military programs that eventually resulted in a decades-long lead in a plethora of various high-tech hypersonic weapons. Thus, now that this backfired, Washington DC faces a far more complex and challenging missile defense task.

Namely, intercepting hypersonic weapons works on very different principles, as their high maneuverability eliminates the predictability of regular ballistic missiles. The cumulative effects of these factors have increased costs and made maintenance, logistics and modernization a true nightmare. Not to mention that the (First) Cold War was far simpler geopolitically because America had only the Soviet Union to worry about. However, as the US kept escalating its aggression against the entire world since then, this forced several more countries to build up their arsenals, most notably China and North Korea (and possibly Iran in the foreseeable future). Unfortunately, there’s no other way to ensure viable deterrence. Still, instead of easing tensions, Washington DC is doubling down on its belligerence.

Namely, although it’s formally a defense system, the Pentagon sees the “Golden Dome’s” actual purpose as a way to facilitate its global dominance by undermining other arsenals. It will effectively be both an expansion and integration of existing missile defenses, with the third site in the Midwest serving to augment the current GMD launch sites in California and Alaska. The US military will have to deal with challenges such as “communication latency across the kill chain”, so the most prominent corporations of the American Military Industrial Complex (MIC) will be included in this massive program. However, the very idea that the “Golden Dome” will be able to shoot down hypersonic weapons is highly questionable, especially given the horrible performance of the GMD even against regular ballistic missiles.

On the other hand, the MIC is exhilarated with such a windfall (considering the system’s costs). Such a project has many similarities with the (First) Cold War-era SDI (also known as “Star Wars”). Still, the idea of space-based weapons is a highly disturbing development that would lead to an inevitable militarization of space. The new missile defense system is expected to be able to “intercept targets in their boost phase” and “deploy relocatable defenses capable of rapid global deployment”. This is a clear violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty (OST). What’s more, there’s also a lot of symbolism in President Trump’s first announcement of the “Golden Dome”. Namely, he unveiled it on January 27, 2025, the exact same date the OST was signed by the US and USSR almost 60 years before.

MORE ON THE TOPIC:

• Pentagon Effectively Confirms ‘Golden Dome’ Will Breach Outer Space Treaty
• American-Israeli Strikes Hit Missile And Drone Facilities In Bid To Cripple Iranian Production (Videos, Photos)
• American F-35 Hit Over Iran Won’t Be Returning To Service Anytime Soon, Pilot Was Injured