President Trump's Golden Dome project may not be completed before 2029, but defense contractors are already beginning to profit.
Defense Contractors Cashing In
Analyst Douglas Harned from Bernstein indicates that even if the Golden Dome project is not completed, contractors are already seeing profits. 'Even if the system fails to deliver, we expect elements to survive and for companies to profit off these efforts,' he noted.
Budget and Cost Estimates
Trump's initial budget estimate for the Golden Dome project is $175 billion. However, experts, including Harned, believe that the final cost may be significantly higher. There is already $25 billion allocated in the 2026 budget specifically for this project. The House Appropriations Committee has also proposed a 2026 spending bill with a total defense budget of $831.5 billion, with $13 billion earmarked specifically for Golden Dome-related missile defense systems.
Global Players and Geopolitics
The Golden Dome project is seen as Trump's response to Israel's Iron Dome, which has proven effective in combat. U.S. policymakers should heed the need to bolster defensive inventories. This initiative essentially revives Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative. Competing nations, such as Russia and China, have expressed negative views about this project, warning it could spark a new arms race.
The Golden Dome project raises important questions about defense spending and U.S. defense policy, as well as the geopolitical responses from other nations.
