On Monday, President Donald Trump declared that building an Iron Dome-style defense shield for the United States is a top priority. He called for “immediate” action on the project and signed an executive order to advance its development.
The Iron Dome is an Israeli mobile, all-weather air defense system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries. It is designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of 2 to 43 miles that pose a threat to populated areas. Between 2011 and 2021, the United States contributed $1.6 billion to support the Iron Dome defense system, with an additional $1 billion approved by Congress in 2022.
The Iron Dome for America Executive Order of January 27, 2025, reads:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including my authority as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. The threat of attack by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and other advanced aerial attacks, remains the most catastrophic threat facing the United States.
President Ronald Reagan endeavored to build an effective defense against nuclear attacks, and while this program resulted in many technological advances, it was canceled before its goal could be realized. And since the United States withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002 and initiated the development of limited homeland missile defense, official United States homeland missile defense policy has remained only to stay ahead of rogue-nation threats and accidental or unauthorized missile launches.
Over the past 40 years, rather than lessening, the threat from next-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex with the development by peer and near-peer adversaries of next-generation delivery systems and their own homeland-integrated air and missile defense capabilities.
Sec. 2. Policy. To further the goal of peace through strength, it is the policy of the United States that:
(a) The United States will provide for the common defense of its citizens and the Nation by deploying and maintaining a next-generation missile defense shield;
(b) The United States will deter — and defend its citizens and critical infrastructure against — any foreign aerial attack on the Homeland; and
(c) The United States will guarantee its secure second-strike capability.
Obviously, although Trump’s executive order references the Iron Dome system, its objectives are well above what the Israeli defense system by that name can deliver. Israel has developed several systems such as the Arrow and David’s Sling to handle heavier, longer-range incoming threats.
The Israeli Iron Dome system consists of three key components:
1. Detection & Tracking Radar: Developed by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, and the IDF, this radar system detects and tracks incoming projectiles.
2. Battle Management & Weapon Control (BMC): This control center, developed by mPrest Systems, an Israeli software company, manages the operation of the defense system.
3. Missile Firing Unit: This unit launches the Tamir interceptor missile, which is equipped with electro-optic sensors and multiple steering fins for high maneuverability. Each Iron Dome battery typically includes 3–4 launchers, with each launcher capable of holding up to 20 missiles.
This integrated system enables the Iron Dome to efficiently intercept and neutralize threats in real-time – within the prescribed limits.
