GOLDEN DOME Act Authorizes $23 Billion Overhaul: Bypasses Red Tape to Deploy Space Sensors by 2028

The newly introduced GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025 (officially the Ground and Orbital Launched Defeat of Emergent Nuclear Destruction and Other Missile Engagements Act) is essentially a massive, $23 billion mandate to rebuild America’s entire missile defense system, and fast. The bill’s core purpose is to create a next-generation defense shield—dubbed the “Golden Dome”—to counter the rapidly growing threat from hypersonic, cruise, and advanced ballistic missiles coming from major global adversaries. It doesn’t just fund new tech; it completely rewrites the rules for how the Pentagon buys and deploys it.

Meet the New Acquisition Czar

To make sure this overhaul isn't stuck in Pentagon bureaucracy for a decade, the bill creates a powerful new role: the Golden Dome Direct Report Program Manager. This isn't just another committee head; this person gets the acquisition authority of a Deputy Secretary of Defense, reporting directly to the Deputy Secretary. Think of them as the CEO of missile defense, with full control over the budget ($23 billion for Fiscal Year 2026 alone, Section 7) and the power to bypass standard Department of Defense acquisition rules (like the JCIDS process and DoD Directive 5000.01, Section 4). This means they can cut through the red tape that usually slows defense projects to a crawl, moving money and signing contracts instantly to speed up deployment.

The Space Race for Defense

If you want to know where the money is going, look up. This bill is heavily focused on space. It mandates the acceleration of space-based sensors and interceptors, leveraging commercial solutions wherever possible (Section 4). Specifically, the Program Manager must procure at least 40 space vehicles for the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor by December 1, 2025, backed by a hefty $3.1 billion (Section 7). This is a huge push to get eyes and ears in low-Earth orbit to track the super-fast hypersonic threats that current ground radars struggle to catch. For the average person, this means the nation’s defense is moving from relying on fixed ground sites to a constantly updated, resilient network in space—a significant shift in protection strategy.

Construction Waivers and Transparency Trade-Offs

This is where the rubber meets the road, and the bill gets controversial. To ensure rapid deployment, the Secretary of Defense is granted the authority to waive any legal requirement necessary for the quick construction, testing, and operation of the Golden Dome system (Section 4). This sweeping power is effective immediately upon publication and allows legal challenges only on constitutional grounds, limiting the ability of local groups or environmental advocates to sue over issues like zoning or environmental impact. If you live near a proposed site for a new radar (like the one planned for the Southern Hemisphere) or an expanded interceptor field, this provision means the project can move forward with unprecedented speed, potentially bypassing the usual checks and balances.

Furthermore, Section 6, which updates how the DoD counters unmanned systems (drones), includes a major transparency carve-out. Any information regarding the technology, procedures, or rules the DoD uses to fight drones will be kept secret, exempt from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. While the intent is likely to prevent adversaries from learning our defense secrets, it also means the public and the press will have zero visibility into the effectiveness or cost-efficiency of these specific defense procedures.

What’s Being Built and Where

Beyond space, the bill dictates significant terrestrial upgrades. It mandates the expansion of Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) fields at Fort Greely, Alaska, to hold up to 80 interceptors by January 1, 2028, earmarking $460 million for the effort. It also allocates $500 million for a new Aegis Ashore site in Alaska and $250 million to finish the Hawaii Aegis Ashore system (Section 7). The bill also directs $50 million towards procuring and fielding dirigibles (airships) for missile defense, a low-cost, high-altitude surveillance solution. For defense contractors, this bill is a massive infusion of new R&D and production contracts, particularly in AI, non-kinetic defense ($2.5 billion), and specialized PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) systems that work without GPS.