In a bold move echoing Ronald Reagan’s “Star Wars” initiative, President Donald Trump has launched an ambitious missile defense program inspired by Israel’s battle-tested Iron Dome.
Israel’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) has recently announced a significant breakthrough in the Iron Dome defense system following a successful and extensive flight test campaign.
Leveraging insights gained from the ongoing war, the tests evaluated the system’s response to a range of current and future threats, including rockets, cruise missiles, and UAVs.
The Iron Dome has played a crucial role in Israel’s defense during the conflict, intercepting thousands of aerial threats and safeguarding both civilians and critical infrastructure.
The latest tests also incorporated enhancements aimed at strengthening Israel’s multi-layered missile defense network. According to Israel’s MOD, these advancements mark a major step forward in the Iron Dome’s capabilities, reinforcing its ability to counter evolving regional threats with greater precision and efficiency.
Developed through a collaboration between the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, ELTA Systems, and mPrest Defense, the Iron Dome has proven invaluable in protecting Israeli civilians and infrastructure.
Since its operational deployment in 2011, the Iron Dome has been a cornerstone of Israel’s Air and Missile Defense Array, working alongside the Arrow and David’s Sling systems.
“Golden Dome for America”
Inspired by Israel’s success with the Iron Dome, US President Donald Trump sought to replicate Israel’s defense success by proposing an American version of the Iron Dome.
Just a week into his presidency, Trump announced his ambitious plan to develop a “100% made in the USA” missile defense shield—initially dubbed “Iron Dome for America.”
The Pentagon discreetly rebranded Trump’s ambitious National Missile Defense Initiative, changing its name from “Iron Dome for America” to “Golden Dome for America.”
According to Defense News, the name change may have been prompted by trademark issues, as “Iron Dome” is a registered trademark owned by the Israeli defense firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
America’s Missile Defense Ambition: From Reagan To Trump
The concept of a missile defense shield isn’t new for the US. As early as 1983, then-President Ronald Reagan envisioned a protective system capable of shielding the US from ballistic missile strikes.
Dubbed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)—or “Star Wars”—the program aimed to develop advanced air defenses, but the technology at the time was not mature enough to bring it to fruition. Since then, the US has poured approximately US$415 billion into missile defense efforts yet has struggled to achieve a fully operational and comprehensive system.
Now, Donald Trump is reviving and modernizing Reagan’s vision. During his 2024 election campaign, he repeatedly pledged to develop a US version of Israel’s Iron Dome, aiming to create an impenetrable shield against enemy missile attacks.
In 2019, during Trump’s first term, the US purchased two Iron Dome batteries from Israel—the first-ever export of the system. These batteries were deployed to protect US military bases, particularly in regions vulnerable to drone and rocket attacks.
Now, Trump is pushing for something much bigger—a “virtual dome” around the United States designed to make the nation impenetrable against ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missile threats.
To accelerate this initiative, Trump has directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to submit a comprehensive plan within 60 days. This plan will outline the framework for a next-generation missile defense shield, with the goal of integrating it into the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget.
How Israel’s Iron Dome Works?
Developed with US support in 2006, Israel’s Iron Dome has become one of the world’s most advanced missile defense systems.
Iron Dome is designed to detect, assess, and intercept incoming short-range threats. Its advanced radar system quickly identifies rockets and determines whether they pose a risk to defended areas. If a rocket is deemed dangerous, the system launches an interceptor missile, which destroys the threat mid-air before it reaches its target.
Each Iron Dome battery consists of multiple launchers, with each launcher carrying up to 20 interceptor missiles. The system operates in all weather conditions and plays a crucial role in protecting Israeli cities, infrastructure, and military sites.
Despite its success, the Iron Dome has faced growing challenges. Since the October 2023 war, its adversaries claim to have exploited vulnerabilities in the Iron Dome. Hamas and Hezbollah assert that they have managed to overwhelm the system by launching massive barrages of rockets in rapid succession, aiming to exceed its interception capacity.
While the system remains highly effective, these challenges have pushed Israel to continually upgrade its multi-layered missile defense network.
How The US “Golden Dome” Will Differ From Israel’s Iron Dome?
While Golden Dome may sound similar to Iron Dome, reports suggest the resemblance ends with the name. What works for Israel will not work for the United States—mainly due to differences in size, threats, and strategic requirements.
Israel’s Iron Dome is designed to protect a small country from short-range threats like rockets, mortar shells, and some cruise missiles.
The United States, by contrast, is 490 times larger, covering 9.8 million square kilometers across four time zones with vast coastlines. Defending the entire US with Iron Dome-style batteries would require over 24,000 units, costing an estimated US$2.5 trillion—several times the current US military budget.
While the US already has early warning and interceptor systems, they are primarily designed to counter threats from smaller nuclear-capable nations like North Korea. However, current US defenses may struggle to stop large-scale attacks from major adversaries like Russia or China.
The White House has stated that the “Golden Dome” will be built to counter a much wider range of threats, including Ballistic missiles, Hypersonic weapons, Advanced cruise missiles, Drone swarms, and Other next-generation aerial threats.
Space: The New Frontier in Missile Defense
The Golden Dome will be fundamentally different from Israel’s Iron Dome, and at its core lies the US Space Force—the military’s newest branch, created by Trump in 2019. Alongside US Strategic Command and Northern Command, the Space Force is expected to play a pivotal role in this ambitious missile defense initiative.
Unlike Iron Dome, which intercepts rockets near their target, Golden Dome seeks to neutralize threats at the earliest possible stage—ideally during the boost phase, when enemy missiles are just launching.
To achieve this, the US would need an advanced network of space-based radar systems, orbital interceptors, and even laser weapons positioned in space. The Space Force would be responsible for deploying, coordinating, and controlling this vast defense grid.
Intercepting ballistic or hypersonic missiles remains one of the toughest challenges in modern warfare. These weapons are small, incredibly fast, and nearly impossible to shoot down from Earth. Once they descend from the edge of space at multiple times the speed of sound, stopping them becomes exponentially harder.
That’s why Trump’s vision for the Golden Dome goes beyond ground-based defenses—he wants to bring missile defense into space. The idea is to deploy space-based interceptors that can strike threats before they become unstoppable.
While such technology doesn’t yet exist, the Pentagon is actively exploring its feasibility, assessing homeland missile threats, and enhancing America’s second-strike capability to ensure the nation remains secure against future attacks.
The Budget of the Golden Dome
The cost of the Golden Dome remains uncertain, but the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment is actively working with key agencies, including the Missile Defense Agency and various military branches, to make it a reality.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a funding shift—moving resources away from non-lethal programs and prioritizing projects that directly enhance America’s national defense capabilities. This means that existing military budgets will be adjusted to ensure the Golden Dome gets the necessary financial backing.
- Shubhangi Palve is a defense and aerospace journalist. Before joining the EurAsian Times, she worked for ET Prime. She has over 15 years of extensive experience in the media industry, spanning print, electronic, and online domains.
- Contact the author at shubhapalve (at) gmail.com
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