Trump's 'Golden Dome' will cost $1.2tn and might not stop all-out missile attack

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

US President Donald Trump's futuristic "Golden Dome" missile defence system will cost about $1.2 ​tn (£882bn) to develop, deploy and operate over two decades, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates.

That figure is significantly higher than the initial sum of $175bn (£129bn) that had been earmarked.

And the system designed to shield the US against ballistic and cruise missiles might not even work. The new CBO report warned the Golden Dome could be vulnerable to a full-scale attack by Russia or China.
...
SpaceX and Lockheed Martin last month won contracts worth up to $3.2bn to develop space-based missile interceptor prototypes for the system.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqxp27j1xyjo

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https://www.cbo.gov/publication/62379

[democrank]

1. Trump should deal with that Golden Dome on his head

and call it good.

[DemMedic]

2. Impossible

Trumps ballroom bunker alone is in need of one trillion dollars (supposedly). Are we to believe the dome is "only" 1.2 trillion?

This is just another trumpty dumpty grift.

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. The ballroom's a billion (at the moment), not a trillion

Even Republicans might choke on a trillion ($3,000 per US citizen) on one ballroom.

[Old Crank]

6. Numbers from the CBO.

They tend to be pretty reliable.

[Ray Bruns]

4. What's this "might not stop an attack" bullshit?

It won’t work at all.

[BurnDoubt]

5. But...

It’s GOLDEN!!!!!!
When I see the ads for Gold as a hedge against a failed and broken Society, I have to laugh.
For a little perspective, I recommend watching “The Treasure of The Sierra Madre” and taking note of Bogey’s face when he realizes his boots are more valuable than his life.
Dumb/Fuckery at its finest!

[sinkingfeeling]

7. He also doesn't think about the country's financial situation.

[Bayard]

8. This country will have to declare bankruptcy once he finishes wasting all our money

We're his biggest grifting project.

[Picaro]

9. Let's correct the headline...

The Golden Dome will cost wayyyyyy more than 1.2 Trillion and will fail when tested by a real attack

[sakabatou]

10. Just call it a "Golden Shower" because it'll piss all over us

[pat_k]

11. Far more effective: Win-win relationships with allies against authoritarian monsters.

Too bad our authoritarian monster wannabe is shitcanning all the relationships on which our security and prosperity depends.

I can't imagine ANY nation he has alienated in a multitude of ways sharing a shred of intelligence with us.

The rate he's going, we probably need an effective "golden dome." Too bad such a thing only exists in his fantasies.

[EX500rider]

12. "the system designed to shield the US against ballistic and cruise missiles might not even work."

No ABM system will stop 100% of a swarm attack, always be some leakers.

But what they do is plant uncertainty in the mind of a attacker, they have no idea what % of missiles will get shot down but have to assume the worse making missile targeting a lot harder due to uncertainty of a successful strike, forcing them to assign 2 or more warheads per target reducing the number of targets they can hit and the ABM system could get lucky and get a 100% rate on certain targets making target destruction even more uncertain.
It's designed to stop attacks before they happen.

[Mysterian]

13. A handout to war-profiteering corporations , just like the bogus "Star Wars" scam

[karynnj]

14. As to not work, remember the name is similar to the Iron dome in Israel

That "dome" has an easier job as Israel is considerably smaller. If the criterion for working is that it stops all missiles etc, it doesn't, but it makes a huge difference in the number of missiles that do hit. This however is at a huge ongoing cost.

The real "dome" for the US is the combination of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in addition to Canada and Mexico. Preserving that natural and geopolitical dome was thr basis of how we perceived the missiles placed in Cuba during the Kennedy administration.

However, neither the Iron Dome or our geography would protect a nuclear attack. There what has prevented any attack is the idea that doing so is Mutually assured destruction (MAD) My concern especially with the current administration, is if they are led to believe that 100 percent nothing can come in thru the golden dome, they might think they could use a nuclear weapon, but would be protected.

Not to mention that 911 showed we were not protected because our own technology could be used against us.

[republianmushroom]

15. That so called "Iron Dome" didn't work to well for the Israelis.

But many got rich from it.

[EX500rider]

16. "That so called "Iron Dome" didn't work to well for the Israelis." I wouldn't call a 90% interception rate bad ymmv

As of March-April 2026, Israel, with U.S. and regional support, has maintained a high interception rate of roughly 90% to 92% against Iranian ballistic missiles, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Despite this high success, intense barrages have resulted in some, though limited, direct impacts.

Overall Performance: Out of over 400 ballistic missiles launched by Iran since the 2026 conflict began, Israeli defense systems, including the Arrow and David’s Sling, intercepted the vast majority.

Specific Incidents: In one instance, Iran launched 365 ballistic missiles, of which 285 crossed into Israeli airspace, with roughly 270 intercepted.

Challenges: Some missiles equipped with cluster warheads have caused casualties in populated areas, and recent reports suggest the high volume of incoming missiles is straining interceptor supplies.

Effectiveness: Experts say the layered system, including Arrow and David's Sling, is highly effective, though not perfect, with roughly 98–99% effectiveness specifically mentioned for some, and others citing a more conservative, yet still high, >90% rate