The United States risks losing the window to implement one of its costliest defense initiatives - the Golden Dome missile defense shield. This concern was voiced by Republican Representative Jeff Crank, founder of the namesake Golden Dome caucus. The caucus aims to serve as an "educational hub" and improve coordination between the military and industry.
According to Defense News, Crank is a prominent advocate for the project. However, he believes the initiative will only succeed if a functional prototype of the system is developed by the end of 2028.
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Crank's statements suggest that the White House is currently stalling further implementation. Reportedly, the administration has yet to submit the project to Congress "in a form that would allow Congress to begin implementation," despite earlier expectations that this would occur by late last year. "This is certainly frustrating," Crank emphasized.
As a historical parallel, he cited Reagan's 1980s Star Wars - the Strategic Defense Initiative. This program also envisioned a missile defense system with heavy reliance on lasers but remained stalled in the research phase due to uncertainty regarding technology readiness levels.
The Golden Dome is an initiative launched by President Donald Trump early last year. In recent months, over 250 companies have joined the program under contracts with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
Current plans involve awarding contracts with a ceiling value of up to $151 billion. Total estimates for the Golden Dome exceed $175 billion according to Trump's optimistic projections. Conversely, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated the cost at an astronomical $542 billion.
Consequently, the Golden Dome is positioned to become one of the most expensive U.S. defense projects, rivaled only by the LGM-35 Sentinel ICBM program, which reached a development cost of over $160 billion. The U.S. previously acknowledged the Sentinel project's difficulties, agreeing that the Minuteman III would remain in service for another 25 years.
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