AeroVironment, Inc. (AV) and Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) have formed a strategic partnership to develop the Golden Dome for America (GDA). The system will be an integrated, open-architecture air and missile defense network. Its mission is to provide limited area defense for critical U.S. assets.
Focus on Homeland Defense
AV Chairman and CEO Wahid Nawabi said there is an urgent need for a layered system to protect against advanced aerial threats from both near-peer rivals and rogue states.
“Together, AV and SNC can deliver affordable and effective defensive solutions,” Nawabi stated. “This will ensure unmatched ‘under-dome’ protection for vital infrastructure.”
Read more: Archer Aviation Acquires Overair Patents and Mission Critical Composites Facility
The GDA will defend key locations such as military bases, naval platforms, airfields, and other strategic sites. The initial coverage will be localized, but the system can expand with new sensors and interceptors, including space-based assets.
Multi-Layered Capability
The architecture will integrate passive and active sensors, radio frequency systems, directed energy weapons, kinetic interceptors, electronic warfare, and cyber defense tools. This will allow the system to address the full kill chain against threats, including Group 1–4 unmanned aerial systems (UAS), advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial platforms.
SNC’s sister company, Sierra Space, may also support the program to overcome key operational challenges.
Strategic Significance
SNC CEO Fatih Ozmen compared the project to historic national security programs.
“An ambitious shield to protect the homeland from complex threats demands industry collaboration equal to the Manhattan Project,” Ozmen said. “Our expertise in open-architecture integration will help deliver this capability and enhance U.S. strategic deterrence.”
The partnership reflects the growing focus of U.S. defense planners on rapid, adaptable, and layered defense systems. The GDA is expected to become a key element in America’s evolving homeland defense posture.
Javeria Sajid is an Aerospace Engineering student from NUST with a background in technology and a sharp focus on the global political landscape and defence innovation. She writes to make complex defence technologies understandable, and aspires to bridge journalism, policy, and engineering in her work.
Muhammad Mudassir
Muhammad Mudassir is a student of Defence and Strategic Studies at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. His areas of interest include defence analysis, strategic research, and geopolitical studies.
