US Congress estimates $1.2 trillion cost for proposed Iron Dome system

The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that a proposed national missile defence system with capabilities broadly aligned with the “Iron Dome for America” executive order would cost approximately $1.2 trillion to develop, deploy, and operate over a 20-year period.

The CBO said its analysis is based on the objectives outlined in the executive order and reflects a notional architecture for a large-scale missile defence network, amid ongoing early-stage planning by the Department of Defense (DoD) for a program now referred to as the “Golden Dome for America," Caliber.Az reports. 

According to the report, the DoD has not yet released detailed plans for the system’s full “objective architecture,” making a precise long-term cost assessment impossible. While the Pentagon’s fiscal year 2027 budget request includes five-year funding projections, key details on the scale and composition of the system remain undisclosed.

In the absence of definitive plans, the CBO modelled a theoretical national missile defence system based on the capabilities described in the executive order. The proposed system would include four interceptor layers: a space-based layer, two wide-area surface-based layers (upper and lower), and a regional surface-based sector layer. It would also incorporate expanded sensor networks, communications infrastructure, and battle management systems designed to coordinate operations across all layers.

Of the estimated $1.2 trillion total cost, just over $1 trillion would be allocated to acquisition. This includes major system components such as interceptors and a space-based missile warning and tracking network, as well as ongoing research, development, and integration efforts.

The remainder of the cost would cover operations and maintenance, including personnel, repairs, and system upgrades over time.

The CBO noted that the space-based interceptor layer would be the most expensive component, accounting for roughly 70 per cent of acquisition costs and about 60 per cent of total system costs.

Notably, back in March, programme director, General Michael Guetlein stated that the project would cost no more than $185 billion.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order establishing the "Golden Dome" a few days after taking office in January 2025. According to the executive order, the missile defence system is to protect the entire territory of the US from strikes by “ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles, as well as other modern airborne weapons”. The first test of the system is not expected until autumn 2028 at the earliest.

By Sabina Mammadli