AI security provider HiddenLayer will have a spot on Golden Dome contract
NewsJanuary 06, 2026
AUSTIN, Tex. Artificial intelligence (AI) security provider HiddenLayer announced that it has been chosen to contribute to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract.
The massive $151 billion (ceiling) SHIELD contract -- intended as an acquisition vehicle for the so-called Golden Dome proposed multilayer missile-defense system -- enables MDA to rapidly issue task orders to qualified industry partners in an effort to accelerate innovation.
HiddenLayer was selected, say company officials, on the strength of its airgapped AI security platform, a solution designed to protect AI models and development processes in fully classified, disconnected environments. Deployed locally within user-controlled environments, the platform is intended to facilitate enterprise-ready detection, scanning, and response capabilities needed in national-security missions.
Chris "Tito" Sestito, CEO and co-founder of HiddenLayer, states: "As AI becomes increasingly central to missile defense, command and control, and decision-support systems, securing these capabilities is essential. HiddenLayer's technology enables defense organizations to deploy and operate AI with confidence in the most sensitive operational environments."
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U.S. Missile Defense Agency
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060
