The missile threat against the U.S. has quietly and significantly grown over the past four decades as U.S. adversaries have added more sophisticated missiles to their arsenals, investing in both the scope of their systems as well as their ability to reach the U.S. homeland, according to experts.

"The name itself, the Golden Dome, is meant to echo Israel's battlefield-proven Iron Dome, the short-range rocket defense system that has proven incredibly effective at saving Israeli lives. Yet while Iron Dome protects a sliver of territory with ground-launched interceptors, Golden Dome is pitched as something far more audacious: a planetary shield in orbit, capable of destroying intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) from Russia or China, intercepting hypersonic glide vehicles, and blunting Iran's growing arsenal."

"The scale alone is staggering. Washington has signed off on $175 billion, most of which will flow to defense giants Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), and L3Harris, to design the satellites, interceptors, and ground systems. Billions more are headed to the U.S. Space Force and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), which will be tasked with weaving the pieces into a functioning shield."

"Since July, when President Trump unveiled the plan and appointed U.S. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein to lead it, Golden Dome has begun to take shape. Early budget outlines, hints of which defense firms are poised to win contracts, and debates among scientists and strategists all point to the same conclusion: the United States is embarking on one of the most ambitious defense projects in modern history and as with ambitious endeavors, this one is not without risk."

Golden Dome is a proposed space-based missile defense designed to destroy ICBMs, intercept hypersonic glide vehicles, and counter Iran's growing arsenal. The program carries a $175 billion commitment, with major contracts expected to flow to Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), and L3Harris to design satellites, interceptors, and ground systems. The U.S. Space Force and Missile Defense Agency will integrate the system. Leadership named Gen. Michael Guetlein to oversee development, and an accelerated three-year schedule aims for operational capability before the current presidential term ends. The initiative is compared to the Apollo program and entails significant technical and strategic risks.

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