Cost of Trump's "Golden Dome" is skyrocketing

TT

Published 2026-05-12 21.07

 

President Donald Trump unveiled the air defense system at the White House on May 20 last year. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP/TT

The estimated cost of the US's future missile defense system - which President Donald Trump calls "Golden Dome" - is skyrocketing.

The latest calculations from the Congressional Budget Office give a bill of 1,200 billion dollars to build and operate the system for 20 years. That corresponds to just over 11,100 billion (11,100,000,000,000) kronor.

When Trump unveiled the project a year ago, there was talk of a cost of a comparatively modest 175 billion dollars.

The system is inspired by Israel’s “Iron Dome,” which protects against rockets, missiles, and drones. The U.S. defense is primarily intended for long-range threats—ballistic missiles from countries like North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia. It will consist of both ground-based and space-based weapons systems.

Trump hopes to have it in service by the end of his term, January 2029.