Trump's Golden Dome projected to cost $1.2 trillion

WASHINGTON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 13th May, 2026) The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defense shield could cost about $1.2 ​trillion to develop, deploy and operate over 20 years, a figure that ‌dwarfs a $185 billion price tag offered by the programme's Pentagon director.

The nonpartisan CBO based its projection on a January 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump, which called on the Defense Department to build an advanced, layered missile defense shield to protect the US from a range of missile threats, including hypersonic weapons.

The office said its estimate reflected “one illustrative approach rather than an estimate of a specific Administration proposal.”

The President said at the time that he wanted the system operational before the end of his term in January 2029.