The Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative, while known for its space-based sensors, faces significant challenges in its ground infrastructure and software management. Mark Henrie, vice president and deputy general manager at Amentum, clarified, “The concept behind Golden Dome is not to create a literal dome over the country. It’s about a global constellation of space-based assets working in concert with robust ground infrastructure and existing missile defense systems.”
Amentum, with its experience in ground control systems for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), is vying for a role in Golden Dome. The initiative addresses evolving threats from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, aiming for a comprehensive defense against various missile types. Henrie explained the system’s global reach: “We’re basically looking at the world. We’re detecting threats from wherever they originate. So you’ve got to have a distributed command and control across the world.” This necessitates seamless handover of battle management between regions.
Ground systems will fuse data from various sources to determine optimal target tracking and interceptor assignment. Golden Dome’s command and control must integrate data from space, ground, and other sources for real-time decision-making. Amentum’s “common ground-space enterprise architecture” is being pitched for this purpose, building on their work with the MDA’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) satellites.
L3Harris and Palantir are also key players, anticipated to provide critical ground-system technologies. L3Harris’s Advanced Tracking and Launch Analysis System (ATLAS) and Palantir’s work on the Kobayashi Maru system are seen as pivotal integrations. William Blair analysts believe the scope of these existing contracts will expand significantly within the Golden Dome framework. This integration is expected to link with a MDA command-and-control software system from Lockheed Martin.
Andrew Chanin of ProcureAM highlights significant industry interest in Golden Dome, driven by its scale and dual-use technology applications. However, uncertainties remain regarding acquisition strategies and procurement authority, information crucial for companies developing competitive strategies. The cancellation of the “Golden Dome for America Industry Summit” has left many questions unanswered.