Billions approved, little progress: Why Trump’s Golden Dome is stuck before rollout begins

Budget cleared. Execution stuck.

The Golden Dome, President Donald Trump’s flagship missile-defence project meant to protect the US mainland by 2028, is running behind schedule just months after its launch, largely because the Pentagon still doesn’t have a spending roadmap for the first USD 25 billion allocated to the programme, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The slowdown comes after a 43-day government shutdown that halted hiring, stalled contract approvals, and diverted officials assigned to the project, according to multiple officials and industry executives who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Funding approved, but no blueprint to spend it

Congress cleared nearly USD 25 billion for Golden Dome earlier this year as part of a broader USD 175 billion package. But that amount has yet to be translated into a detailed spending plan, something lawmakers expected in late August. That plan is now due in December, two sources on Capitol Hill told Reuters.

Without the blueprint, contracts for satellites, interceptors, and ground systems have not moved to execution, delaying the programme’s transition from design to development.

A Pentagon spokesperson said only that “the baseline architecture has been established,” without releasing details.

Contracting delays raise cost fears

Delays are common in defence procurement, but timelines are under scrutiny because Trump wants the system operational by 2028, an aggressive target for a programme expected to operate in space, counter hypersonic threats, and integrate intelligence networks.

Four defence executives told Reuters that slipping deadlines, incomplete system architecture, and uncertainty over contract timelines could drive up costs. A senior official said progress isn’t “going horribly” but remains slow.

Contractors wary of high upfront investment

Several companies are hesitant to commit resources to the space-based interceptor component, which would require bidders to fund much of the R&D before awards are finalised, an unusual structure for a high-risk defence programme.

Documents reviewed by Reuters show companies would need to develop multiple interceptor variants to target threats at different flight stages. Industry executives estimate development could cost between USD 200 million and USD 2 billion before production contracts are issued.

Some firms are also concerned a future administration may scale back or drop the programme entirely.

Pentagon still staffing up

Golden Dome program chief General Michael Guetlein met a mid-November deadline to submit an implementation plan, but remains short of the 30-person core team required and recently lost a technical director, sources told Reuters. A replacement has been identified.

Guetlein has pulled in personnel from other defence facilities, including missile experts from Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.

Why industry still sees upside

Despite concerns, the Pentagon has begun integrating early-warning systems from multiple agencies to feed intelligence into Golden Dome. If completed, it could support annual production contracts worth USD 1.8–3.4 billion per vendor, according to planning documents.

A White House spokesperson defended the programme, calling Golden Dome “next-generational technology” and saying progress is underway. The Pentagon said it is protecting details to prevent adversaries from exploiting classified capabilities.