CBO Estimates $1.2 Trillion Cost for Trump's Golden Dome Missile Shield

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released a new estimate indicating that developing, fielding, and operating the Trump administration's proposed Golden Dome missile defense system could cost nearly $1.2 trillion over a 20-year period. This figure is more than double the projection made by the CBO last year and significantly exceeds the administration's own estimate of approximately $185 billion. The high cost is largely driven by the deployment of a constellation of 7,800 space-based anti-missile interceptors, which accounts for over 60 percent of the total budget. Despite this massive investment, the CBO analysis suggests the system would only be capable of engaging ten intercontinental ballistic missiles simultaneously. The initiative, originally named Iron Dome, remains in early stages with no detailed objective architecture released by the Department of Defense. The discrepancy between the CBO's notional National Missile Defense System model and the Pentagon's lower figures suggests differences in scope, timeline, or funding sources. This report highlights the financial and technical challenges associated with the ambitious space-based defense plan announced in 2025.