Golden Dome and the Art of Capture: Winning Big Defense Deals through Discipline

The Pentagon’s “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative has captured the attention of government contractors nationwide, from industry titans to small businesses, and non-traditional defense contractors. With independent estimates pegging Golden Dome’s cost from a staggering $252 billion to over $3.6 trillion over 20 years, according to American Enterprise Institute , this represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity.  

The Golden Dome Opportunity: Massive Program, Fierce Competition & Investment 

Golden Dome, President Trump’s proposed homeland missile defense shield, is the hot pursuit in defense contracting right now. The program has been deemed a “highest priority” for the Pentagon, even continuing to move forward during government shutdown lapses. Industry interest is sky-high: the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) received over 1,500 industry questions on the initial SHIELD solicitation - a $151 billion multiple-award IDIQ contract vehicle forming the backbone of Golden Dome. In fact, response deadlines had to be delayed due to overwhelming participation. This is a strong signal that dozens of companies - from the biggest defense primes to non-traditional startups - are jockeying for a position. The scope of Golden Dome is broad, covering everything from space-based sensors and interceptors to command-and-control systems and even cyber defense. Such breadth means numerous contracts and task orders will be in play over the coming years, but it also means no single company can master it all without a strategy. 

Crucially, Golden Dome is not a “one-and-done” contract - it’s a program of programs. The MDA’s SHIELD vehicle alone is a 10-year initiative expected to encompass rapid prototyping, technology development, testing, and deployment across at least 19 categories. And SHIELD is just one of two major contracting approaches.  MDA will also use the Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects (NOBLE) Multiple Authority Announcement (MAA) to seek “disruptive technologies & rapid capability development from non-traditional sources”.  (FedSavvy covers the two acquisition strategies SHIELD versus NOBLE in an earlier blog. )

The government is casting a wide net and encouraging innovation and new entrants alongside the usual defense giants. Everyone who wants a slice - big or small - will have to compete for it. Even the defense behemoths are taking nothing for granted: for example, Lockheed Martin is already planning a 2028 demonstration of a space-based interceptor (one of the most challenging Golden Dome components) to bolster its position. Another fast-rising firm, Firefly Aerospace, recently acquired sensor developer SciTec specifically to enhance its Golden Dome offerings, illustrating how serious the prep work has become (even years ahead of main contract awards). Meanwhile, recent headlines in the Wall Street Journal have touted SpaceX as “poised to secure” a $2 billion contract for Golden Dome-related satellites. SpaceX spent years building the Starlink network of thousands of satellites and proving them in real-world scenarios—positioning the company favorably with acquisition executives as a go-to capability provider. The takeaway is clear: Golden Dome contracts will be won by those who plan ahead and invest in winning - which is exactly what disciplined capture is all about. 

Why Disciplined Capture Matters More Than Ever 

In the world of government contracting, “capture” refers to the meticulous process of preparing to win a contract long before the official proposal is submitted. It’s the behind-the-scenes campaign of market research, customer engagement, solution development, and strategy that sets a company up to offer a winning bid. For massive opportunities like Golden Dome, disciplined capture isn’t just helpful - it’s essential. Here’s why: 

• Scope and Complexity: As noted, Golden Dome spans everything from hypersonic missile interceptors to AI-enabled command systems. A winning bidder must deeply understand the customer’s needs across this complexity. Capture efforts allow you to map out the mission requirements, threats, and gaps the government is aiming to address. For instance, knowing that Golden Dome must defend against ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles as well as next-gen aerial threats helps you tailor your solution and messaging to those specific challenges. 

• Early Shaping of Requirements: In large programs, influencing the conversation early can make the difference between an RFP that plays to your strengths or one that doesn’t. Through capture planning, companies engage with the customer via RFIs, industry days, and white papers to help shape the procurement. Golden Dome’s managers have been actively gathering information from industry - a clear opening for firms to suggest innovative approaches. Did SpaceX’s Starlink constellation demonstrations influence the Pentagon’s thinking on a space sensor layer? Very Likely. Effective capture often means introducing your capabilities to decision-makers early, so when requirements are written, your solution is already on their radar. 

• Relationship Building (Within Ethical Bounds): People and trust factor heavily in contract awards. Disciplined capture involves building relationships with key stakeholders - the program officers, technical leads, contracting officers, and even external influencers. In Golden Dome’s case, stakeholders span the Missile Defense Agency, Space Force, the Office of the Secretary of War, and Congress. While SpaceX may have benefited from high-level advocacy (Space Force leadership clearly saw value in their approach), most contractors cannot bank on top-down intervention. Instead, you must earn credibility by consistently engaging the customer at working levels: attending forums like the Space and Missile Defense Symposium (where Golden Dome was discussed behind closed doors), asking insightful questions, and demonstrating commitment to the mission. 

• Teaming and Capability Gaps: Given the scale of Golden Dome, no contractor is an island. A sound capture strategy will include identifying partners or subcontractors to fill capability gaps in your offering. For example, if your company excels in software but lacks hardware integration experience (or vice versa), now is the time to form alliances. We see this happening already - companies are acquiring new companies for capability or teaming to broaden their portfolios for Golden Dome. Disciplined capture means proactively organizing a winning team with the right mix of expertise rather than scrambling after an RFP drops. 

• Competitive Intelligence: In any major pursuit, understanding your competition is key. Capture involves analyzing who the likely contenders are, what their strengths/weaknesses might be, and how you can differentiate. Golden Dome will attract all the usual suspects (Lockheed, Boeing, Northrop, Raytheon) plus agile newcomers and non-traditional defense contractors. Your capture plan should map out how you’ll outshine others - perhaps through a faster development approach, lower cost via innovation, or unique tech that others lack. For instance, if you’re a non-traditional player, emphasizing a disruptive solution and your ability to navigate DoD procurement (maybe via the MAA route) could set you apart. 

In short, disciplined capture is about leaving nothing to chance. It imposes a structure on the chaotic, lengthy process of winning large government contracts. By the time the formal Request for Proposal (RFP) is released, the winners are often already decided in all but name - because they’ve spent months or years doing their homework and shaping the deal. Golden Dome will be no different. 

 Capturing Golden Dome: Key Steps to Position Your Team for a Win 

How can your company apply disciplined capture to Golden Dome (or any major federal opportunity)? Here’s a quick checklist of capture best practices tailored to this scenario: 

1. Deep-Dive into Future Needs: Learn known technical gaps that must be addressed to make Golden Dome a reality. Golden Dome’s publicly released information (e.g. the SHIELD draft scope outlines broad topics and other industry and government sources outline specific needs) provides a treasure trove of insight. Identify the mission-critical requirements and align them with your solution strengths. Ask: How does our offering directly address the need to detect and defeat advanced threats from peer adversaries? Where can we exceed the requirements in a meaningful way? 

1. Engage with the Customer Early: If you haven’t already, plug into the Golden Dome communication channels. Respond to RFIs or broad agency announcements. Attend industry days or technical interchange meetings that MDA and DoD organize. Even submitting questions (among those 1,500+ that were asked for SHIELD) helps demonstrate your interest and can glean valuable clarifications. Face time with the customer is gold. Use every opportunity to listen and to carefully convey your team’s expertise. 

1. Build the Right Team and Partners: As noted, Golden Dome is too broad for one contractor to do it all. Assess your gaps and proactively team with others. If you’re a technology innovator, consider partnering with an experienced integrator who knows MDA’s acquisition processes (and vice versa). Start forming those alliances now, before formal teaming announcements are made, so you have time to establish working chemistry and a unified strategy. Many successful captures are actually team wins where each member was chosen for a strategic reason.  Hint: Golden Dome will need to blend expertise from legacy primes and new primes...knowing them and how they fit helps you form the right team (we can help). 

1. Create a Capture Plan & Calendar: Discipline means organization. Map out a capture plan that includes critical milestones and actions: deadlines for any preliminary proposals or white papers, dates for upcoming government briefings or conferences, internal design reviews for your solution, etc. Assign clear responsibilities to your capture team members (capture manager, solution architect, proposal lead, etc.). Treat capture like a project - with timelines, deliverables, and regular status check-ins. This ensures you maintain momentum and don’t miss any windows of opportunity. 

1. Develop Win Themes and Discriminators: Long before the final RFP, start crafting your value proposition. What are the 2-3 key reasons the government would pick up your solution or team for a Golden Dome contract? Perhaps you have proven technology that can be fielded faster, or a cost model that saves billions over legacy approaches, or a unique open-systems architecture that allows easier integration of allies’ contributions. Whatever your strengths, hone them into clear win themes. Use capture phase interactions to test these themes - if they resonate with the customer, double down; if not, refine and adjust. By RFP time, your proposal should simply be articulating the winning story you’ve already vetted and rehearsed. 

By following these steps, you put your organization in the best possible position when it’s go-time. Remember, capture is an investment - it requires time, resources, and often money (for demos, studies, capture consultants, etc.). But for a prize like Golden Dome, the investment is not only justified; it’s mandatory if you hope to win. The competitors certainly are spending heavily on capture; you don’t want to be the one showing up to the fight unprepared. 

Conclusion: Win with Preparedness and How We Can Help 

Golden Dome represents a monumental chance to be part of America’s next-generation defense infrastructure. It’s exactly the kind of high-stakes, high-reward program where fortunes can be made - for those who are ready. As we’ve discussed, the foundational wins will go to companies that embrace disciplined capture: those who do their homework, engage early, build strong teams, and craft winning strategies grounded in customer knowledge. Whether you’re chasing Golden Dome contracts or any other large federal program, the formula for success is similar: plan ahead and execute with discipline. 

The good news is that you don’t have to navigate this complex capture journey alone. This is where a fresh, expert perspective can make all the difference. The Peerless Group and FedSavvy Strategies offer a comprehensive Capture Assessment that can evaluate your current pursuit strategy and identify gaps or areas for improvement. Our team of proven capture managers, competitive analysts, and technical subject matter experts will analyze how well aligned your efforts are with Golden Dome’s demands (or whatever opportunity you’re targeting) and provide actionable recommendations to boost your win probability. We’ve helped clients large and small sharpen their capture game - and win. 

Ready to elevate your capture strategy? 

Now is the time to act, before the next RFP lands on the street. Book a Capture Assessment today with The Peerless Group and FedSavvy Strategies and arm your team with the insights and tools needed to win Golden Dome and other major bids. In an era where disciplined capture is the differentiator between winning and coming in second, let us help you tilt the odds ever in your favor. Your next big win starts with the groundwork you lay right now - let’s get to work!