WASHINGTON — A space-based missile defense initiative championed by President Donald Trump carries a price tag of $1.2 trillion, according to a fresh Congressional Budget Office analysis, dwarfing the $175 billion figure the president cited last year.
The nonpartisan budget office released its report Tuesday, characterizing the assessment as reflecting “one illustrative approach rather than an estimate of a specific Administration proposal.”
Trump authorized the advanced defense system through executive action during his opening week back in the White House. At that time, he projected the program would be “fully operational before the end of my term,” which concludes in January 2029.
In his executive directive, Trump stated: “Over the past 40 years, rather than lessening, the threat from next-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex with the development by peer and near-peer adversaries of next-generation delivery systems.”
The missile defense concept draws inspiration from Israel’s layered protective systems, commonly known as the “Iron Dome,” which has proven crucial in shielding the nation from rocket and missile attacks launched by Iran and associated militant organizations during the ongoing conflict where the U.S. serves as an ally.
The American version of this protective shield would incorporate both terrestrial and orbital technologies designed to identify, target and neutralize incoming missiles throughout all critical phases of a potential assault.
Lawmakers have already authorized approximately $24 billion for this defense project as part of a comprehensive Republican tax and spending package that became law last summer.
When Trump announced the Golden Dome initiative in May, he pegged its cost at $175 billion. However, the CBO previously calculated that solely the space-stationed elements could reach $542 billion over two decades.
