President Trump’s proposal for a “Golden Dome” missile defense shield has been bestowed an initial $25 billion in funding, despite objections from defense experts that the plan is both exorbitantly costly and infeasible against intercontinental ballistic missiles. The reconciliation bill passed by Congress included the funding for planning of “next generation missile defense technologies” including space-based interceptors and systems to target missiles in their boot phase.
The estimated costs of the Golden Dome reach eye-watering sums—and giant defense contractors like Lockheed Martin are angling for a piece, touting their product lines as part of the sprawling project.
