The United States signed the first prototype contracts to strengthen space-based air defense. Some interceptor (SBI) prototype production agreements executed through Space Systems Command’s Other Transaction Agreements (OTA) method have been approved and these prototypes boost phaseIt is aimed to be effective in the early stage after the missile launch, known as.
These studies, which support the Golden Dome initiative, use the OTA mechanism to produce rapid solutions. Another prototype competition is planned to start in early December. This competition will cover in-flight kinetic interceptors and contracts are expected to be awarded in February.
The project, announced by President Donald Trump in May, included a goal of costing $175 billion and reaching the operational phase in just three years; However, experts estimate that the total cost could be much higher depending on the project scope.
The US Department of Defense does not share details about the Golden Dome architecture with the public. While the implementation plan was being worked on, the request to direct the existing budget resources to space-based preventive capabilities came from Congress. In this context, some shares of the Pentagon’s approximately 25 billion dollars budget are planned to be allocated to the Golden Dome target.
Many companies in the defense industry sector continue their work in this field. Leading actors such as Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Apex Space play important roles in the project. While Apex plans to launch its interceptor systems called Project Shadow in mid-2026, Lockheed Martin continues its work with a target of 2028. Northrop Grumman is currently advancing through the ground testing phases and providing operational analysis support to the Pentagon.
