According to Iraf, a new report by the Congressional Budget Office shows that the “Golden Dome” missile defense plan, which the Trump administration has introduced as the pillar of America’s future defense strategy, has in practice turned into an extraordinarily expensive and ambiguous project.
According to this assessment, the cost of producing, deploying, and operating the system over the next two decades will reach approximately $1.2 trillion — a figure several times higher than the initial $175 billion estimate announced by the White House.
The cost of equipment procurement alone exceeds one trillion dollars, with the majority related to the space-based interceptor layer, about which even American military commanders have expressed doubts regarding feasibility and effectiveness.
Vulnerability Against Russia and China
The Congressional Budget Office warned that even if completed, the system would not be capable of countering a large-scale attack by Russia or China and would only have relative effectiveness against limited threats from countries such as North Korea.
The institution emphasized that no defense shield is “impenetrable,” and that the Golden Dome would quickly face disruption in the event of simultaneous and complex attacks.
Four Defense Layers with Unjustifiable Costs
The proposed architecture of the project includes four defense layers, ranging from thousands of space-based interceptor satellites to ground bases and regional systems such as THAAD, Patriot, and SM-6.
The space layer alone would cost more than $740 billion — a figure that by itself exceeds the total defense budgets of many countries.
However, the Pentagon has still not provided precise details on how this section would be implemented, leading experts to question the realism of these estimates as well.
The Experience of Similar Systems Failing in the Region
Analysts say recent experiences in West Asia have also shown that reliance by the United States and its allies on multilayered defense systems does not guarantee security.
The penetration of some Iranian drones and missiles through the Iron Dome, as well as the inability of U.S. air defense coverage in Gulf countries to fully intercept attacks, has strengthened the assessment that Trump’s Golden Dome project, despite its enormous costs, cannot provide a reliable shield for the United States.
A Political Project with an Uncertain Future
The Congressional Budget Office emphasized that due to the lack of transparency from the Pentagon, even the $1.2 trillion estimate may be lower than the actual cost.
Some American experts also believe that the project is more of a political display intended to project defensive power than a truly operational system — a display that may never be fully implemented.
