The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is set to initiate the acquisition of the Golden Dome missile shield through a 10-year, $151 billion multiple-award contract. This information was detailed in agency documents released last week.
By Friday, the MDA expects to make a draft solicitation available for the contract vehicle, formally named Scalable Homeland Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD). The final request for proposals is scheduled to be published in June, as indicated in a presolicitation notice posted on Wednesday.
SHIELD is designed to accommodate multiple contract types and will span a variety of NAICS codes, providing MDA and the broader military with the necessary flexibility for developing the Golden Dome system.
President Trump mentioned last week that the Golden Dome system is anticipated to be operational within three years at an estimated cost of $175 billion. However, these figures have been deemed unlikely by Pentagon officials, the Congressional Budget Office, and other experts.
According to the notice, the system must be capable of countering ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, cruise missiles, and various advanced aerial attacks throughout all flight phases. The MDA aims to develop advanced, multi-domain defense systems to safeguard the U.S. homeland, as well as deployed forces and allies against increasingly sophisticated threats.
The project can be divided into several categories:
– **Research and Development:**
– Science and technology research
– Prototyping and demonstrations
– Disruptive technology development
– Architecture development and systems engineering
– **Engineering and Production:**
– Weapon design and development
– Integration and assembly
– Production and fielding capabilities
– Hardware and software modifications
– **Operations and Support:**
– Test and evaluation services
– Operation and sustainment
– Modernization programs
– Cybersecurity solutions
– **Analysis and IT Services:**
– Modeling, simulation, and analysis
– Data mining, collection, and analysis
– RDT&E and mission-related IT services
The SHIELD notice emphasizes the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning into the system’s design. Moreover, the MDA is focusing on digital engineering, open systems architectures, model-based systems engineering, and agile processes related to the acquisition, development, fielding, and maintenance functions.
President Trump has appointed General Michael Guetlein, the Space Force’s Vice Chief of Operations, to lead the Golden Dome initiative. In April, Guetlein informed lawmakers that the Golden Dome project will require unprecedented collaboration among various agencies, combining several existing systems such as ground-based Patriot missiles, THAAD interceptors, ship-fired missiles, and satellites for sensor and space-based weaponry.
For further insights on the Golden Dome initiative, listeners can check out a relevant episode of the WT 360 podcast featuring Defense One’s air and space reporter, Audrey Decker.
