Pentagon Awards $3.2B to Dozen Contractors for Golden Dome Orbital Defense

The US Space Force has awarded $3.2 billion across a dozen contractors to develop space-based interceptors as part of the Golden Dome initiative, signaling major strategic commitment to orbital missile defense. The contractor roster spans both established defense giants like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman and emerging players like Anduril Industries and True Anomaly, reflecting the Pentagon's strategy to blend proven expertise with innovation. This early development phase, using rapid-prototyping acquisition mechanisms, sets the foundation for what could become a transformative layer of US air and missile defense.