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On Monday, January 27th, U.S. President Donald Trump took a step toward enhancing U.S. missile defense capabilities by signing an executive order to plan for a version of Israel’s renowned Iron Dome system. The executive order directs the U.S. Secretary of Defense to develop a detailed implementation plan within 60 days, aiming to create a next-generation missile defense system capable of intercepting ballistic, hypersonic, and advanced cruise missiles. This ambitious initiative also includes the exploration of space-based interceptors.
During his 2024 election campaign, Trump frequently promised to introduce a U.S.-based Iron Dome, drawing inspiration from Israel’s well-known air defense system. Israel’s air defense array, which also includes the Arrow and David’s Sling systems, was able to intercept thousands of rockets, missiles, and UAVs launched by adversaries like Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and the Houthis throughout the Swords of Iron war, which started when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th, 2023.
According to the Defense post, due to the fact that the Iron Dome specifically has proven highly effective against short-range threats, particularly rockets fired from neighboring regions, some critics claim that this could limit its application for defending against more long-range missile threats, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that pose the primary danger to the U.S.
Despite this, Trump emphasized the increasing intensity and complexity of missile threats over the last four decades, referencing the rapid advancements in missile technology by various adversaries. “The threat from next-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex,” the executive order states, highlighting the importance of addressing this growing danger.
The plan to create a U.S. version of the Iron Dome aims to safeguard American cities and military installations from a variety of missile threats, but questions remain about how the system will adapt to larger, longer-range missiles. Trump also confirmed that the system would be developed and built in the U.S., further bolstering national defense infrastructure.
