The Congressional Budget Office estimated Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system could cost about $1.2 trillion to develop, deploy and operate over 20 years. [1, 2, 3]
The estimate is far above the $175 billion Trump previously cited. BBC reported the CBO said acquisition costs alone would exceed $1 trillion. [1, 3]
The report said the system is intended to protect the United States against ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles and other advanced aerial threats, with space-based sensors or interceptors built into the design. Trump said in January that “the threat of attack by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and other advanced aerial attacks, remains the most catastrophic threat facing the United States.” [1, 3]
The CBO said the architecture could be overwhelmed in a full-scale attack by a peer or near-peer adversary such as Russia or China, a point it also framed by saying “the system could be overwhelmed by a full-scale attack mounted by a peer or near-peer adversary.” [1, 2]
The office based its estimate on capabilities described in Trump’s January 2025 executive order. It said the administration had not provided enough detail for a full long-term cost estimate. The report was requested by Senator Jeff Merkley, who called the project “a massive giveaway to defense contractors paid for entirely by working Americans” and said, “I will continue to work with my colleagues to prevent another dime from flowing to this racket.” [1, 2, 3]
The CBO said space-based interceptors would account for roughly 70% of total acquisition costs and 60% of overall costs. Anadolu reported Congress has approved about $24.4 billion for the program so far. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein earlier gave a separate estimate of $185 billion in March. [2, 3]
The next major reference point in the plan comes from Trump’s January 2025 executive order that defined the system’s scope and set the CBO’s baseline for its cost analysis. [1, 2, 3]
