The U.S. Space Force awarded a dozen companies contracts worth more than $3 billion to develop prototypes of space-based interceptors for the Golden Dome.
The contracts, which were announced on Thursday, are with Anduril Industries, Booz Allen Hamilton, General Dynamics Mission Systems, Gitai USA, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Quindar, Raytheon, SciTec, SpaceX, True Anomaly, and Turion Space.
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They are being tasked with developing a space-based missile defense interceptor system and are expected to demonstrate “capability integrated into the Golden Dome architecture by 2028,” a press release said.
The Golden Dome plan, which President Donald Trump announced last year, is a comprehensive homeland defense system that would defend against missile threats using a layered approach that includes ground-, air-, and space-based sensors to detect, track, and intercept incoming projectiles.
Golden Dome Director Gen. Michael Guetlein said during a congressional hearing earlier this month that they will “deliver an operational capability” by the summer of 2028, and he also noted last month that the projected cost “for the objective architecture” went up from $175 billion to $185 billion.
“Adversary capabilities are advancing rapidly, and our acquisition strategies must move even faster to counter the growing speed and maneuverability of modern missile threats,” stated USSF Col. Bryon McClain, program executive officer for Space Combat Power.
“Utilizing Other Transaction Authority agreements, we attracted both traditional and non-traditional vendors, while harnessing American innovation, and ensuring continuous competition. With the commitment and collaboration of these industry partners, the Space Force will demonstrate an initial capability in 2028,” McClain said.
GOLDEN DOME WILL BE OPERATIONAL BY SUMMER 2028
During his hearing before the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee earlier this month, Guetlein told lawmakers that USSF would not pursue space-based interceptors if it cannot do so affordably.
“Because we are looking at the threats from a multi-domain perspective to make sure I have redundant capabilities and I don’t have single points of failure,” he said. “So, if boost-phase intercept from space is not affordable and scalable, we will not produce it, because we have other options to get after it.”
