Trump: Golden Dome will cost around $175B, be ‘fully operational’ in three years

President Donald Trump has officially approved a plan for his ambitious missile defense project known as Golden Dome — which he said on Tuesday will cost an estimated $175 billion and be fielded before his second presidential term ends.

“This design for the Golden Dome will integrate with our existing defense capabilities and should be fully operational before the end of my term, so we’ll have it done in about three years,” Trump said during a press conference in the Oval Office. “Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from the other sides of the world, and even if they are launched from space.”

In addition, Trump announced that the Space Force’s Gen. Michael Guetlein will serve as the direct reporting program manager for Golden Dome. Currently serving as vice chief of space operations, Guetlein will have complete developmental oversight of Golden Dome — envisioned as a multi-layered homeland missile defense shield that will lean heavily on space-based systems.

Trump also signaled that Canada has requested to be part of the Golden Dome project, noting that their involvement would be a “fairly small expansion” but that the U.S. would work with the country on pricing and details.

Golden Dome was initiated following a January executive order that tasked the Defense Department to develop and field an “Iron Dome for America” — subsequently renamed as Golden Dome.

In a statement, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth noted that the Pentagon “has developed a draft architecture and implementation plan for a Golden Dome system of systems that will protect our homeland from a wide range of global missile threats.”

While Trump did not provide specific details on the chosen architecture, officials have previously said it would encompass proven terrestrial-based platforms, as well as several space-based systems — including new sensors and interceptors — that will allow the U.S. to destroy incoming missiles in early stages of flight.

“Our adversaries have become very capable and very intent on holding the homeland at risk while we have been focused on peace overseas,” Guetlein said during Tuesday’s press conference. “It is time we change that equation and start doubling down the protection of the homeland. Golden Dome is a bold and aggressive approach to hurry up and protect the homeland from our adversaries.”

In a statement, Hegseth said that the architecture “will be fielded in phases, prioritizing defense where the threat is greatest.”

However, developing and fielding Golden Dome on Trump’s aggressive three-year timeline will likely not come easy. 

Even with the estimated $175 billion price tag, a previous report from the Congressional Budget Office warned that the architecture would likely require a higher number of space-based sensors and interceptors than previously thought.

“For the lowest-cost alternative that CBO examines here, the reduction in launch costs would cause the total estimated cost of deploying and operating the [space-based interceptor] constellation for 20 years to fall from $264 billion to $161 billion (in 2025 dollars),” CBO wrote in a letter to lawmakers on May 5. “For the highest-cost alternative that CBO examines, the total estimate would fall from $831 billion to $542 billion.”

Republican lawmakers have already proposed a $25 billion down payment on Golden Dome under the reconciliation bill, but that legislation has yet to be approved by Congress.

Despite the budget uncertainty, Trump told reporters that he’s confident the funding for Golden Dome will come through.

“We’ll have a big phase very early, starting immediately with the $25 billion. It’ll cost about $175 billion [when] completed,” Trump said, adding that he believes Golden Dome will be fully operational “in two-and-a-half to three years.”

The Pentagon is currently working with the Office of Management and Budget to develop a plan for funding recommended capabilities that will be reviewed by Trump before he finalizes his budget request for fiscal 2026, according to a statement from Hegseth. 

Others have raised alarm over the technical feasibility of Golden Dome, particularly because many of the radars that would be in the architecture use the 3.1-3.45 GHz band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Pentagon officials and lawmakers have expressed concern that plans to auction off parts of the Defense Department’s spectrum to commercial telecommunications companies could inhibit Golden Dome’s ability to operate.

Lawmakers have also questioned Pentagon officials recently about other technical challenges with Golden Dome, such as the ability to field space-based interceptors and integrate multiple platforms under a single architecture. But Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, noted during Tuesday’s press conference that there are a number of U.S.-based companies — from traditional defense primes to VC-backed startups — ready to tackle the project.

“Our technology sector is head and shoulders above any other place in the world, and they’re going to be a key part of this,” Sullivan said.