CBO Estimates Golden Dome Will Cost About $1.2 Trillion
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the Golden Dome would cost about $1.2 trillion over 20 years, far above earlier administration figures and based on a January 2025 executive order.
Mother JonesReport: Trump's Golden Dome would cost $1.2 trillion
BBC NewsTrump's 'Golden Dome' to cost $1.2tn, watchdog estimates
Military TimesTrump’s Golden Dome missile shield estimated to cost $1.2 trillion
Washington TimesTrump’s proposed ‘Golden Dome’ estimated to cost $1.2 trillion, far more than he initially said
Overview
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the Golden Dome would cost about $1.2 trillion to develop, deploy and operate over 20 years.
That projection is far higher than the roughly $175 to $185 billion the administration had previously cited for the program.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, who requested the estimate, called the project "nothing more than a massive giveaway to defense contractors," while Gen. Michael A. Guetlein said the effort is "laser focused on affordability."
The CBO based its cost estimate on a four-tiered architecture including space-based sensors and multiple interceptor layers meant to protect the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii, with acquisition costs totaling just over $1 trillion.
The CBO warned the system could be overwhelmed by a full-scale attack from a peer adversary and said the project may face delays from replenishing THAAD and Patriot interceptors and other Pentagon funding constraints.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources report this largely without editorial framing, presenting the CBO estimate alongside administration, military and congressional responses. They emphasize the CBO caveat about illustrative methods, include Trump’s original $175 billion claim, a Space Force director’s affordability defense, and Sen. Merkley’s critique, letting source content drive the narrative.