The DownLink Podcast Space Power: Golden Dome - “Boy! Has It Stalled”
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Jan 23, 2026 Todd Harrison, AEI senior fellow and defense budget expert, breaks down the first year of the Golden Dome missile defense push. He recounts initial momentum that then stalled. He explains missing spending plans, impossible cost and schedule targets, congressional reporting pressures, and how architecture and interceptor choices drive huge cost differences.
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Momentum Vanished After Big Start
- Golden Dome launched with huge political momentum but then stalled badly.
- Todd Harrison calls it "fired out of a cannon" and says momentum has evaporated due to lack of concrete plans.
Key Details Still Missing
- The Pentagon hasn’t produced a spending plan, architecture, or clear objectives for Golden Dome.
- Harrison notes unanswered questions on mission scope, capacity, and cost that prevent progress.
Use Reporting Deadlines To Spur Action
- Congress is using reporting deadlines and requirements to force clearer progress and transparency.
- Harrison suggests these oversight actions aim to break internal departmental logjams and spur movement.