When government and industry leaders gathered at the 2025 Space and Missile Defense Symposium last week, the Department of Defense placed a moratorium on officials speaking in public sessions about Golden Dome, President Trump’s Iron Dome-inspired missile protection and alert initiative. However, news from private sessions between military leaders at the Missile Defense Agency and the industrial base have become known, with help from reporting by Breaking Defense.
The most significant of this information is about the Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense, a.k.a. SHIELD, contracting vehicle, which MDA released a pre-solicitation paper for at the very end of July. SHIELD is estimated to value at least $151 billion over 10 years and an official timeframe was issued at SMD for when to expect a request for proposal.
In the absence of Pentagon-led public discussions of Golden Dome, we must turn to industry voices on the matter: top leaders from the biggest competitors in GovCon will assemble for the “Supporting the Shield: Navy’s Role in the Golden Dome Architecture” panel at the 2025 Navy Summit on Aug. 26. Register now for Potomac Officers Club’s final event of its Summer DOD Series!
What Are the Golden Dome Contracts?
SHIELD
So far, there are two Golden Dome-related contracting vehicles. SHIELD is the more recent of the two and is said to be extremely “versatile” and wide-ranging in its scope. It will theoretically allow DOD components to quickly issue task orders and contracts as needed under its umbrella.
Prototyping, cybersecurity, systems engineering, weapon design and data mining were all provided as possible SHIELD activities in the slides that were privately shown to industry.
MAA
The first-announced Golden Dome contract vehicle from MDA is entitled the Multiple Authority Announcement, which surfaced in late March. The MAA encompasses potential contracts for kinetic and hypersonic defense, command and control, space-based sensors and interceptors, and more, and Breaking Defense said a slide at SMD billed it as an acquisition mechanism for “disruptive technologies & rapid capability development from non-traditional sources.”
Up to this point, MDA has actively sought proposals under MAA for advanced capability concepts, and electromagnetic protection and threat object discrimination.
While both pertaining to Golden Dome, DOD spokespeople made it clear that SHIELD and MAA are two “distinct opportunities.”
What Is the Timeline for SHIELD?
Responses to the July 31-issued presolicitation notice for SHIELD are due in five days — on Aug. 19.
A final RFP for the project will be released before Oct. 1, the DOD told industry at the event.
Before that RFP is announced, it’s important to convene with your industrial base colleagues about how to prepare your business for this incredibly lucrative opportunity. Join the Golden Dome GovCon conversation at the 2025 Navy Summit on Aug. 26.
