The USA increases the estimate for the Golden Dome missile defense system to 185 billion dollars.

At a conference dedicated to defense programs, Guetlein announced the expansion of the Golden Dome project, to which Lockheed Martin, RTX, and Northrop Grumman have joined as the main contractors. The shield will integrate ground capabilities, including interceptor missiles and command and control systems, as well as space elements for detecting and countering threats from orbit.

Additional funding will support the advanced missile tracking program and the HBTSS sensor, aimed at monitoring hypersonic and ballistic missiles. Guetlein estimated a total cost of 185 billion dollars to achieve a complete architecture over the next decade, rejecting external estimates that exceeded 1000 billion.

He emphasized that the main challenges of the program are space interceptors and emerging technologies, such as directed energy weapons and artificial intelligence. The consortium of contractors, which now includes nine companies, meets weekly to assess performance and decide on the continuation of collaboration.