Executive Mosaic has unveiled a redesigned trophy for the 2026 Wash100 Award, featuring a new “golden dome” element inspired by the Golden Dome next-generation missile defense initiative that has become a major focus across the government contracting industry.
The updated statuette reflects Executive Mosaic’s continued commitment to enhancing the physical Wash100 Award each year, ensuring the trophy matches the growing prestige and impact of the GovCon industry’s top executive recognition program.
“Each year, we are committed to, and have delivered upon, making the Wash100 Award weightier, more attractive and more eye-catching to match the immeasurable accomplishments of our winners,” said Jim Garrettson, CEO of Executive Mosaic and founder of the Wash100 Award. “The annual improvements to the award hardware reflect the collective reputational weight of the Wash100 recipients.”
Executive Mosaic has redesigned the Wash100 trophy annually, with past versions gaining additional dimensionality and incorporating light-up features. The 2026 redesign continues that evolution by tying the award’s look to one of the defense sector’s most discussed emerging initiatives.
“Golden Dome is an industry watershed, a gleaming inflection point for the government contracting industry, and we are pleased to reflect its importance in the redesign we’re unveiling for the 2026 Wash100 statuette,” Garrettson added. Every GovCon wants a piece of Golden Dome and now every Wash100 winner—at least this year—will have one.”
The 2026 Wash100 Award winners have been announced, recognizing 100 of the most influential executives across the GovCon landscape, including leaders in defense, intelligence, federal civilian agencies and emerging technology sectors.
Show your support for your favorite Wash100 winner! Join the 2026 Wash100 Popular Vote competition now!
Why Is Golden Dome a Major GovCon Opportunity?
Golden Dome has rapidly emerged as a defining national security priority, placing renewed emphasis on advanced missile defense modernization and integrated homeland defense capabilities.
For GovCon companies, particularly in the defense sector, Golden Dome represents a major opportunity tied to next-generation capabilities such as missile tracking, hypersonic defense, integrated battle management and advanced interceptor technologies. Industry leaders continue to position themselves for a potential wave of procurement activity as the initiative matures.
GovCon leaders looking to stay ahead of Golden Dome’s rapidly evolving contracting landscape can dive deeper into the initiative at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit on Feb. 26. The event will feature a dedicated panel discussion on Golden Dome and how government and industry are working together to advance integrated missile defense capabilities. Save your spot now and hear directly from the leaders helping shape one of the most consequential defense initiatives in decades.
How Is the SHIELD Contract Vehicle Advancing Golden Dome Efforts?
Contracting activity under the Missile Defense Agency’s potential 10-year, $151 billion Strategic Homeland Integrated Ecosystem for Layered Defense, or SHIELD, vehicle has underscored the government’s urgency in advancing Golden Dome-related capabilities.
Through SHIELD, MDA intends to develop continuous, layered protection against air, missiles, space, cyber and hybrid threats. The agency also aims to advance the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled applications, model-based systems engineering, open systems architecture, digital engineering and agile processes to speed up the acquisition, development and sustainment of capabilities. SHIELD is one of several contracting mechanisms supporting the Trump administration’s Golden Dome initiative.
In early December, MDA established the competitive pool by awarding 1,014 companies spots on the SHIELD indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract as part of the initial tranche of staggered awards. On Dec. 18, the agency added 1,086 vendors to the competitive pool.
MDA further expanded the SHIELD awardee base in mid-January, bringing the total number of participants to more than 2,400 with the addition of 340 more companies.
Which Companies Are Developing Space-Based Inteceptors for Golden Dome?
In support of Golden Dome, Lockheed announced that it is developing a space-based interceptor, which it plans to fly by 2028.
At an earnings call in January, Jim Taiclet, chairman, president and CEO of Lockheed, mentioned the company’s technological capabilities and efforts to support the missile defense shield project, including the development of laser weapon systems and continued collaboration with government and industry partners to support Golden Dome’s command and control aspects.
“We’re also…. making substantial investments to rapidly increase production capacity across missiles, sensor suites, battle management systems, and satellites, as well as the rapid development of space-based interceptors that will be directly relevant to achieving the overall objective for Golden Dome,” Taiclet, a two-time Wash100 awardee, told analysts at the call.
Aside from Lockheed, Los Angeles-based Apex is also pursuing a space-based interceptor capability tied to Golden Dome.
Ars Technica reported that Apex plans to launch its Project Shadow demonstration mission by June. Once in orbit, the Project Shadow’s spacecraft is expected to deploy two interceptors, each of which will fire a solid rocket motor sourced from a third-party supplier, according to the report.
