# Senate Scrutinizes Golden Dome Costs

Senate Armed Services Subcommittee hearings led by Senators Angus King and Deb Fischer examined the Pentagon’s Golden Dome homeland missile-defense program, including its architecture, coverage priorities, testing, deployment scope, and cost. The program is described as a **$185 billion** investment targeted for completion by 2035, but its requirements and lifecycle cost remain unclear. The Congressional Budget Office’s roughly $1.2 trillion estimate covers a notional system over 20 years, not the system DoD is developing. Industry engagement has been discussed, including reducing cost-per-shot and delivering capabilities quickly, but no solicitation, award, or defined contract opportunity was announced.

- Companies should not treat the hearings or estimates as an active procurement: system architecture, coverage priorities, and acquisition requirements are not yet defined, and key details remain classified.
- Missile-defense contractors can use the stated focus on cost-per-shot and rapid capability delivery to inform future industry engagement, while recognizing that specific acquisition packages have not been identified.
- The different $185 billion and roughly $1.2 trillion figures refer to different scopes; businesses should avoid treating the CBO’s notional-system estimate as the program’s established cost.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Published:** October 01, 2026

### Government Entities
- Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
- U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)

### Key Quotes
> The American public deserves clarity about what Golden Dome will accomplish and how much it will cost. Particularly because it could be one of the government’s largest and most expensive projects.
> — Angus King, U.S. Senator

### Sources
- [Sen. King: Golden Dome Scope, Cost Estimate Remains Unclear – MeriTalk](https://www.meritalk.com/articles/sen-king-golden-dome-scope-cost-estimate-remains-unclear) - MeriTalk
- [Fischer Makes the Case for Golden Dome During Subcommittee Hearing - Press - United States Senator Deb Fischer for Nebraska](https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=04E803CD-846B-495D-834A-912862C7D273) - Fischer Senate
- [King Leads Golden Dome Hearing, Questions Scholars on Costs and Impacts to American Taxpayer](https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-leads-golden-dome-hearing-questions-scholars-on-costs-and-impacts-to-american-taxpayer) - KING