Golden Dome for America Initiative

The Golden Dome for America initiative is a national security program to develop a multi-layered homeland missile defense system capable of detecting and intercepting ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, and cruise missiles approaching from any direction. Announced via Executive Order 14186 on January 27, 2025, the system architecture incorporates ground-based interceptors, space-based sensors and kinetic weapons, directed energy systems, and AI-enabled battle management across four defensive layers: space, upper atmosphere, lower atmosphere, and surface-level point defense.

The FY 2027 R&D memorandum directs federal agencies to invest in Golden Dome supporting technologies including advanced sensing and AI-powered threat assessment, trusted autonomous systems, space maneuverability, directed energy weapons, and advanced materials for interceptor development. Congress appropriated $24.4 billion for initial development through FY2025 reconciliation, with total program cost estimates ranging from $175 billion (White House) to over $500 billion (Congressional Budget Office) depending on space-based interceptor constellation scale.

Federal policy explicitly calls for exploring dual-use applications of Golden Dome capabilities, suggesting civilian critical infrastructure—including broadband networks, power systems, and transportation—may benefit from advanced sensing, secure communications, and edge computing technologies developed for the missile defense initiative.