Banks touts Indiana connection to ‘Golden Dome’ missile shield
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Speaking from the Oval Office, U.S. Sen. Jim Banks touted the inclusion of Indiana companies in a multi-billion missile shield project known as the “Golden Dome.” It is currently part of the massive reconciliation bill working its way through Congress.
“Your legacy with Space Force, Mr. President, is already big, but the Golden Dome is going to be an even bigger legacy for our country,” Banks told President Donald Trump in a live briefing on Tuesday.
“And Indiana is going to help you make it,” Banks continued, citing Fort Wayne’s L3Harris as a source for space satellites and the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane as a supporter.
L3Harris recently underwent a $125-million upgrade to support the Golden Dome project by supporting the design, development and production of next-generation technology for the company’s missile defense and weather programs.
“Hoosiers are very proud of that; we’re proud of you,” concluded Banks, who was introduced by Trump as a “great senator.”
The Golden Dome missile defense shield, introduced by Trump in January, will cost a projected $175 billion, but Republicans opted to include a $25 billion down payment in a contentious defense reconciliation bill.
The project is inspired by Israel’s land-based Iron Dome, which protects the country from missiles and rockets shot by nearby enemies. Trump said the dome would be complete by the end of his term in January 2029, naming Alaska, Florida, Georgia and Indiana as states that would benefit from the project.
Canada will also be a partner, Trump added. General Michael A. Guetlein, the vice chief of space operations, will lead the project.
Details about the bidding process are still scarce, as reported by Reuters, though he said all components would be made in America.
SpaceX, Palantir and Anduril have emerged as potential frontrunners to build the project. Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, has proposed a governmental “subscription service” as part of the Golden Dome project, a concern for some critics.