The Pentagon needs to give better answers on its 'Golden Dome'

Frustrated legislators tucked an unusual provision into the recently passed $839 billion defense appropriations bill, demanding answers from the Pentagon on its proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense project. Defense officials were given until early April to detail planned expenditures over the next two years and must report annually thereafter. If White House officials want this program to succeed, they shouldn’t just accept the need for greater transparency; they should embrace it. Currently, the administration risks becoming a victim of its own hype. Since announcing the program in May, the president has boasted that it will shield all of the U.S. from enemy missiles, for less than $200 billion, within three years. Pentagon officials insist the technology and the timeline are viable, but they have declared they can’t say more for fear of leaks. The lack of detail has angered lawmakers and strengthened critics, who warn that building a comprehensive space-based shield against incoming ballistic missiles would cost orders of magnitude more than the White House says, even if te

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