Defense & Aerospace Report Defense & Aerospace Air Power Podcast [Jan 22, 26] Season 4 E3: Getting Defensive
Jan 22, 2026
Dr. Tom Carrico, Director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, shares invaluable insights on the state of air and missile defense. He discusses the implications of Congress’s recent appropriations report, particularly regarding the Golden Dome system and its transparency issues. Carrico also highlights Greenland's strategic value for defense, multi-year procurement advantages for interceptors, and global missile demand amid supply chain challenges. Plus, the ongoing need to boost Tomahawk production is a key concern.
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Golden Dome Exists But Lacks Transparency
- The Golden Dome program has an internal Pentagon architecture but lacks public and congressional transparency.
- Tom Carrico warns the administration must publish plans and put contracts in place or the program will stall.
Publish Early To Secure Support
- Communicate early even if details are limited to build congressional and industry confidence.
- Tom Carrico urges publishing the architecture and starting contracting to meet timelines.
Architecture Is Internal, Not Public
- General Guttland has developed an internal architecture and implementation plan for Golden Dome.
- The plans have been reported up the chain but not sufficiently released publicly or to Congress.