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The first phase of Golden Dome, President Donald Trump’s planned missile defense shield, is built to deter a “decapitation” strike aimed at killing America’s leaders, as well as a limited missile attack by a rogue nation. That stage is due by 2028.
Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, who runs the program, outlined the plan Sept. 17 at the Ohio Space Forum in Cleveland. He said the Pentagon will put much of what it already owns into the field to “deter a coercive decapitation or rogue nation attack against the homeland.”
Guetlein calls this first stage Epic 1. A second stage, Epic 2, is set for 2035 and would add technology that isn’t ready yet, such as directed-energy weapons, quantum systems and new sensors and communications.
A program spokesperson declined to give more detail, citing operational security.
What is a ‘decapitation’ strike, and why does Golden Dome start there?
A decapitation strike is a surprise attack on a country’s top decision-makers. The goal is to kill them or cut them off before they can order a response, which leaves the rest of the military without direction.
Defending against that scenario is a much smaller job than the one Trump laid out in his January 2025 executive order. The order called for protection against every kind of missile attack, from major powers such as China and Russia as well as from rogue states such as North Korea.
Guetlein told senators in April that the fastest way to build a credible defense is to upgrade and connect systems the military already runs. He also said that firing multimillion-dollar interceptors at cheaper incoming threats can’t work over the long term, which is why the cheaper technology is planned for later.
Is Golden Dome on track for 2028, and how much will it cost?
Guetlein estimates Golden Dome will cost about $185 billion through 2035. Congress had appropriated roughly $22.9 billion as of April. The Congressional Budget Office priced a system that fully meets Trump’s order at $1.2 trillion over 20 years.
Funding is the biggest risk to the timeline. Trump asked Congress for $18 billion more for Golden Dome in fiscal 2027 through a party-line budget bill.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told The Washington Times on Wednesday that Golden Dome may not be adequately funded. He pointed to a roughly $350 billion gap in defense funding for fiscal 2027.
A Nov. 4 report from the Congressional Research Service noted that lawmakers could use defense legislation to decide how far the project goes. The report also asked how Russia and China might respond and what the shield could mean for arms control.