“U.S. President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative has faced major delays due to bureaucratic hurdles, a 43-day shutdown of the U.S. government and the lack of a clear plan for using the first $25 billion in funding.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: Reuters citing eight sources in the administration, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry
Details: According to Reuters, the 43-day shutdown significantly affected the implementation of the Golden Dome program, delaying the hiring of personnel and distracting key employees from the preparation and approval of contracts. Three sources from the defense industry and one US official said that some employees were forced to switch to solving issues related to the shutdown of government agencies.
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Eight sources familiar with the process said nearly $25 billion allocated in this summer’s budget package has yet to be translated into a concrete spending plan. The document was supposed to be submitted by the end of August, but is now expected in December, according to two administration officials, one congressional source and two industry executives. According to Reuters, Deputy Secretary of Defense Steve Feinberg is to present the plan.
Delays in the contracting phase are causing concern in the defense industry, given the administration’s tight timelines for implementing the program. Four chief executives of defense companies that plan to bid have suggested that a number of key contracts will not be signed by December 31, which could make the program more expensive.
The White House reported that the project is large-scale and requires significant efforts from all involved parties. The representative of the Pentagon noted that the department is monitoring the progress of the implementation of the program, and its key elements are being developed taking into account threats from potential adversaries of the United States.
The head of the program, General Michael Gathlein, submitted a preliminary plan for the implementation of the system, but the document is still being finalized. A Pentagon official said that “the basic architecture is already in place,” but did not release details.
The lack of a master plan and an approved budget complicated the process of announcing tenders for the development of satellites, interceptors, ground stations and network infrastructure. According to one US official and three defense company executives, this effectively blocked the program from planning to implementation.
Additionally, defense companies are concerned that the long-term costs of building a “reliable all-threat missile defense system” could exceed $3.6 trillion over 20 years, according to Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, in September.
The program also faces staffing challenges. According to Reuters sources, the Pentagon’s Golden Dome office has fallen short of its planned 30-person workforce and has lost a technical director from the US Space Command who was involved in developing the system’s architecture.
General Gathlein continues to build a team and bring in experts from various institutions, including the Missile Development Center at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
Additional difficulties arise from the side of potential contractors. Several defense industry sources said companies are refusing to take on the upfront costs of developing interceptors — networks of satellites and missiles.
Literally: “According to the documents, the contractors are asked to develop four different versions of the interceptors: two capable of intercepting missiles at different altitudes during the launch phase, one to intercept missiles mid-flight, and another to counter hypersonic missiles.
Details: The federal government usually covers part of the funding for such high-risk research, but this time the companies themselves have to cover the costs, according to documents seen by Reuters. The head of one of the leading defense companies said that they are unlikely to participate in the competition because of the high cost of development and the risk of canceling the program by the next administration.
Industry executives estimate that building and testing a single space interceptor could cost between $200 million and $2 billion.
Prehistory:
- At the beginning of September reportedthat Space Force Gen. Michael Gatlin, who is leading U.S. President Donald Trump’s effort to build the Golden Dome missile defense network, has finalized a plan for the program.