By Sean Payne, SatNews Events
ORLANDO, Fla. — Gen. Michael Guetlein, the recently appointed Director of the Golden Dome missile defense program, accepted a leadership award at the Space Power Conference tonight, appearing remotely on the main stage screen to outline the urgent operational tempo of the Pentagon’s new $175 billion homeland defense initiative.
Speaking via a secure video link to an audience of industry leaders and Space Force Guardians, Guetlein emphasized that the Golden Dome program—which integrates space-based sensors, directed energy, and kinetic interceptors—represents a fundamental shift in how the United States approaches deterrence. The general, who served as Commander of Space Systems Command until 2023 and later as Vice Chief of Space Operations, framed the program not just as acquisition, but as an immediate warfighting imperative.
“Systems of Systems” Approach
“We are no longer in a position where we can rely solely on nuclear deterrence or geographic isolation,” Guetlein said, his image projected above the conference floor. “Golden Dome is not a single satellite or a single interceptor. It is a system of systems designed to deny any adversary the confidence that a strike on the American homeland could ever succeed. This award reflects the work of thousands of Guardians who are building that shield today.”
The Golden Dome Mandate
The award comes six months after the Department of Defense formally stood up the Office of Golden Dome for America, a program comparable in scale to the Manhattan Project. Tasked with defending the U.S. against advanced ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missile threats, the program operates outside the standard service acquisition chains, reporting directly to the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
The initiative combines assets from the Space Force, Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and commercial partners into a unified command-and-control architecture. Guetlein’s virtual remarks highlighted the program’s reliance on “left-of-launch” capabilities—technologies designed to neutralize threats before they leave the ground or atmosphere—and a new generation of space-based interceptors.
Timeline and Industry Demand
The program faces aggressive milestones, with an initial operational capability (IOC) targeted for 2028. Guetlein acknowledged the friction between rapid deployment and traditional procurement, signaling that his office would continue to use Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) to bypass slow-moving federal acquisition regulations.
“We are buying down risk by leveraging commercial constellations that are already in orbit,” Guetlein noted. “The demand signal to industry is clear: if you have a capability that can sense, track, or intercept a hypersonic glide vehicle, we have a requirement for it now.”
The conference continues through Friday, with upcoming sessions expected to address the integration of Golden Dome’s sensor architecture with existing Space Command networks.