Golden Dome missile defence: CBO estimates USD 1.2 trillion cost over 20 years

A new Congressional Budget Office analysis put President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defence plan at about USD 1.2 trillion over 20 years. That figure is far above the USD 175 billion cost Trump cited last year. The CBO said the work reflects an illustrative approach. It is not a cost estimate for a final Administration design.

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The report said cost projections stayed uncertain due to missing Pentagon details. The CBO said officials had not set clear choices. Those included what systems would be fielded, and how many. The report said this gap made long-term pricing hard. The analysis was published Tuesday and described as nonpartisan.

Golden Dome missile defence cost estimate by CBO

The CBO pointed to broad spending ranges across different design options. Earlier, the CBO estimated the space-based parts alone might reach USD 542 billion. That estimate covered the next 20 years. Trump’s overall figure from last May was USD 175 billion. The new analysis placed the full project much higher.

Congress has already cleared money for the initiative. Lawmakers approved about USD 24 billion in funding through a large Republican tax and spending package. That measure was signed into law last summer. The CBO figure looked beyond that amount. It weighed long-term costs linked to building and keeping the system running.

Golden Dome missile defence timeline and executive order

Trump ordered the missile defence effort through an executive order. The order was signed during Trump’s first week in office. Trump set an ambitious schedule at the time. Trump said then that "he expected the system to be fully operational before the end of my term,\". That term ends in January 2029.

In the executive order, Trump argued threats had increased. Trump said: \"Over the past 40 years, rather than lessening, the threat from next-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex with the development by peer and near-peer adversaries of next-generation delivery systems,\". Trump used that assessment to support the new defence plan.

Golden Dome missile defence concept and Iron Dome comparison

The concept drew partly from Israel’s layered missile defences. Those systems are often called the Iron Dome. The report said the US idea would use multiple layers too. It would include ground-based and space-based tools. Those tools would aim to detect and stop missiles during major stages of an attack.

The Israel model gained attention after recent regional attacks. It helped defend Israel from rocket and missile fire from Iran. It also countered strikes from allied militant groups. The report said the US plan aimed for broader coverage. It would seek to intercept threats earlier, including outside the atmosphere.

Golden Dome missile defence criticism in US Senate

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-OR, requested the CBO estimate and criticised the effort. Merkley said the project is \"nothing more than a massive giveaway to defense contractors paid for entirely by working Americans.\". Merkley’s comments came after the CBO released its analysis. The CBO itself did not take a policy position.

The CBO said the total cost depended on future decisions and hardware selections. It said the Defence Department had not provided enough specifics for a firm forecast. Trump has presented the plan as a major national shield. For now, the estimate signalled a far higher price than early public figures.

With inputs from PTI