# MDA Advances Golden Dome SHIELD IDIQ

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) continues to advance its Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) IDIQ contract supporting the Golden Dome initiative, focusing on integrating commercial space, artificial intelligence (AI), and autonomous technologies into defense missions. Carahsoft, as an awardee on this IDIQ, plays a key role in facilitating these capabilities, which encompass satellite data, AI-driven analytics, and unmanned systems. This initiative aligns with growing defense priorities in space and geospatial intelligence, offering significant opportunities for contractors specializing in these emerging technologies. The upcoming 2027 Defense R&D Summit in Washington, D.C. presents a strategic venue for engagement with federal technology leaders and insight into evolving defense research and development budgets.

- The SHIELD IDIQ under Golden Dome emphasizes scalable layered defense solutions leveraging commercial space and autonomous systems, signaling increased procurement activity in these domains
- Carahsoft's involvement as an awardee highlights the importance of established contractors in bridging commercial innovation with defense requirements
- Procurement professionals should prepare for expanding solicitations and contract opportunities related to space-based sensing, AI analytics, and autonomous platforms
- Industry stakeholders can leverage events like the 2027 Defense R&D Summit to align offerings with federal priorities and network with key decision-makers in agencies such as MDA, NGA, and SOCOM

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military, Information Technology
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Services
**Published:** September 28, 2026

### Government Entities
- Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
- Undersecretary of War for Research and Engineering
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
- U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM)

### Vendors
- Carahsoft (awardee)
- ICEYE ()
- Slingshot Aerospace ()
- Shield AI ()
- Skydio ()

### Sources
- [Lacey Wean Carahsoft Interview on Space, Golden Dome, AI](https://www.executivebiz.com/articles/lacey-wean-carahsoft-interview-space-golden-dome-ai-uas-data) - ExecutiveBiz