The Enigmatic “Golden Dome”: A Four-Layer Shield Forecasted by the Pentagon for 2028.
In Huntsville, Alabama, before thousands of defense contractors, the Pentagon unveiled the guidelines of a project that seems to be taken from science fiction: a multi-layered national defense system referred to as “Golden Dome.” Recent leaks allow us to reconstruct how this missile defense shield would look like and what obstacles it must overcome to become a reality.
### A Shield Starting in Space
According to leaked documents, the shield would be located outside Earth. There, orbital sensors and interceptors would monitor the sky with the ability to detect, track, and neutralize missiles in the early stages of flight. The idea of intercepting during boost phase is crucial, as projectiles are most vulnerable at that moment. The “Golden Dome” project envisions three additional layers on the ground, equipped with radars, interceptors, and high-powered lasers. Together, these defenses would cover the continental United States, as well as Alaska and Hawaii, with at least 11 strategically distributed short-range batteries.
### Technological Challenges and Industrial Players
However, the project—with an estimated budget of $175 billion—is not devoid of challenges. One of the most complex is latency in the communication chain: in a real attack, every fraction of a second is critical to coordinate the different layers of the system. The Pentagon has called upon giants like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, and Boeing. The absence of SpaceX is notable, even though they had presented proposals in partnership with Palantir and Anduril. The leaked plans also mention the incorporation of next-generation radars alongside proven systems like the Patriot, and the creation of mobile launcher modules capable of adapting to present and future interceptors.
### A Strategic Countdown
Under the leadership of Michael Guetlein, former Vice Chief of Space Operations, the project is moving against the clock. Guetlein has only 30 days to assemble his team, 60 days to deliver a preliminary design, and 120 days to define in detail the network of satellites and ground stations. The “Golden Dome” presents itself as a shield of historic ambition. Its success or failure will not only shape the future of U.S. defense but also the global strategic balance in a world where the speed of a missile can decide the fate of entire nations.
