Trump Plans to Sign Executive Order for US Iron Dome Similar to Israel’s

President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order calling for a “next-generation” defense shield to protect the United States from potential missile attacks. The idea is inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome but would need a far greater reach to cover the entire US.

Key Facts:

  • A White House document describes ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles as serious threats to the United States.
  • The executive order would build on existing US missile defense systems, including the Patriot, THAAD, and Aegis.
  • Previous attempts, such as President Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” and a more recent Boeing project, have faced setbacks.
  • The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency has spent over $194 billion since 2002 developing layered defense systems.
  • Trump says the new system “will be made all in the USA.”

The Rest of The Story:

The proposed defense shield aims to detect, track, and destroy incoming missiles before they can reach American soil.

Current US capabilities can handle limited threats from countries like North Korea, but Pentagon officials worry that larger attacks, or new weapons such as hypersonic missiles, could overwhelm existing defenses.

Since the early 1980s, the Department of Defense has pursued various concepts to protect against missiles. Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, often called “Star Wars,” was a prominent example, but it never fully materialized.

More recent efforts include ground-based interceptors in California and Alaska, plus mobile systems on warships.

Budget constraints and technology challenges have repeatedly slowed down progress.

In 2019, the Pentagon canceled a $1 billion Boeing contract for a kill vehicle intended to target missiles from North Korea or Iran.

Meanwhile, adversaries like China and Russia have continued advancing their own hypersonic weapons programs.

Commentary:

If the United States attempts to duplicate Israel’s Iron Dome across its vast territory, this would be a monumental task.

Israel is about the size of New Jersey, making a nationwide defense system more feasible there. Covering the US would require a huge investment in technology, manpower, and infrastructure.

Such an effort would likely carry a massive price tag begging the question, how does the federal government plan to fund an undertaking of this scale?

Given past funding hurdles and technical hurdles, lawmakers and taxpayers alike would need to weigh the potential benefits against the costs.

The Bottom Line:

Trump’s new plan for a comprehensive missile shield suggests a bold vision but faces steep hurdles.

Whether it becomes a reality depends on technology, funding, and political will.

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