Overview
- The Congressional Budget Office estimates the proposed nationwide missile-defense program would cost about $1.2 trillion over 20 years, with most spending on hardware and roughly 70 percent tied to space-based interceptors.
- Pentagon officials dispute the analysis and say the cost model relies on outdated assumptions about current sensors, targeting, and manufacturing.
- The CBO projects the layered system could blunt small or regional salvos but would likely be overwhelmed by a large-scale strike from a major nuclear power.
- Congress has already appropriated roughly $24 billion for early work and is considering an additional $17 billion request for the next phase.
- UK reporting highlights that Britain lacks a dedicated anti-ballistic missile shield, with the first upgraded Type 45 destroyer expected in 2027 and the full fleet not slated to have the enhancement until 2032.