USA Awards $3.2 Billion in Contracts to 12 Companies to Develop Golden Dome System

The US Space Force has signed contracts worth $3.2 billion to develop the Golden Dome system.

This was reported by Reuters.

The agreements were announced on April 24, 2026. The contracts call for the creation of space interceptors to destroy missiles in the early stages of flight.

The 12 selected contractors include leading defense and technology giants SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Anduril Industries.

In total, over the past few months, the Space Force has signed about 20 contracts covering various aspects of the development of interceptors and related technologies.

The Golden Dome program is a key initiative of the Donald Trump administration. It involves creating a multi-layered missile defense system using space-based platforms.

The main idea is to deploy an orbital constellation to intercept ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles during their acceleration phase. The first demonstration tests of the systems are scheduled for 2028.

As a reminder: in September 2025, US Space Force General Michael Getline, the initiative’s leader, completed the preparation of a detailed plan for the development of Golden Dome.

At the same time, the private sector is actively adapting its own developments to the program’s needs. In particular, the American company Cummings Aerospace presented an updated version of the Hellhound S4 jet drone, specially modified for integration into the ‘Golden Dome’ national missile defense system.

Earlier, Militarnyi reported that the cost of developing the promising US missile defense system known as ‘Golden Dome’ had risen to $185 billion. This is $10 billion more than previous estimates.

Additional funds were allocated to accelerate the deployment of key space-based elements of the system.