(Photo Chip Somodevilla)
The Pentagon is pushing back the deadline for industry proposals for the Golden Dome missile defense project due to a massive surge of interest from America’s defense industrial complex, DefenseOne reported Tuesday.
“Considerable interest” from defense contractors in the Trump administration’s potential $151 billion project has spurred the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to extend the deadline for proposals, DefenseOne reported. The agency said its Sept. 10 solicitation “generated considerable interest, resulting in over 1,500 questions from industry,” according to the outlet.
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“I think it’s an indication of strong industry interest, which is not surprising given the enormous amount of money already appropriated by Congress,” Todd Harrison of the American Enterprise Institute told DefenseOne.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles looks on from behind a chart on the Golden Dome missile defense system as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the White House on May 12, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The Golden Dome is estimated to cost at least $175 billion, while the Trump administration is aiming to build the system in only three years. However, the enormous amount of coordination required from America’s defense industrial complex may prove to considerably blunt Trump’s ambitions, as the industry is well-known to be a slow, cumbersome force.
The most lofty estimated cost comes from the Congressional Budget Office in May, which said the massive project could cost upwards of $831 billion over 20 years. Defense giants such as L3 Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies and Elon Musk’s SpaceX have been floated as potential contractors for the project.
The Trump administration has envisioned the Golden Dome system would include sea, land, and space-based elements in order to shoot down incoming missiles. The system was conceived with the evolving threats of hypersonic missiles in mind as China and Russia both race to lead the world in the technology.
“Sept. 17, 2025 marks 60 days since Gen. Guetlein’s confirmation and the establishment of the Office of Golden Dome for America,” a Pentagon official told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “The Department of War met the deadline of initial architecture development. It is currently undergoing review, and no additional information is available at this time, keeping operational security top of mind. We continue doing our part to meet the President’s vision as Golden Dome for America remains a strategic imperative to protect our Homeland.”
