He dubbed the effort "Iron Dome for America" -- a reference to a highly successful system employed by Israel -- but the threats to the US homeland that Trump wants to counter differ from those faced by Washington's close ally.
Below, AFP examines Trump's missile defense order and the threats it is meant to counter.
- Israel's Iron Dome -
Iron Dome is an air defense system that has intercepted thousands of short-range rockets and other projectiles since it went into operation in 2011, providing Israel with crucial cover during times of conflict.
Israel initially developed the Iron Dome alone after the 2006 Lebanon War, and was later joined by the United States, which has provided its defense know-how and billions of dollars in financial support for the program.
In addition to Iron Dome, Israel has other systems to counter longer-range threats including ballistic missiles.
- Missile threats to the US -
The United States faces various missile threats from adversaries, but they differ significantly from the short-range weapons that Israel's Iron Dome is designed to counter.
The 2022 Missile Defense Review -- the most recent year available -- pointed to growing threats from Russia and China.
Beijing is closing the gap with Washington when it comes to ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow is modernizing its intercontinental-range missile systems and developing advanced precision-strike missiles, the document said.
It also said that the threat of drones -- which have played a key role in the Ukraine war -- is likely to grow, and warned of the danger of ballistic missiles from North Korea and Iran, as well as rocket and missile threats from non-state actors.
The United States has gained valuable real-world experience in defending against missiles and drones in recent years.
In Ukraine, US systems have been used to counter advanced Russian missiles, while American planes and warships helped defend Israel against Iranian attacks last year and have repeatedly shot down missiles and drones launched at ships by Yemen's Tehran-backed Huthi rebels.
- Trump's order -
Trump's order calls for the development of a "next-generation missile defense shield" to counter "ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and other advanced aerial attacks."
It gives Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 60 days to submit plans to defend against aerial attacks from peer, near-peer and rogue adversaries that include the development and deployment of space-based interceptors as well as capabilities for the early defeat of missile attacks.
The order also calls for the submission of a plan to fund the initiative before the fiscal year 2026 budget is finalized, for an updated assessment on missile threats to the homeland, and for the submission of a set of locations to progressively defend against attacks by nuclear adversaries, among other steps.
- Need for expanded defenses -
Chad Ohlandt, a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation, said the Defense Department has already deployed missile defenses for the United States that can protect against a few dozen intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as more numerous defenses against theater ballistic missiles.
He noted that the Ukraine war has shown the vulnerability of infrastructure to long-range strikes, and that the successful defense of Israel from Iranian attacks "demonstrates the benefits of missile defense."
"China continues to rapidly expand its conventional and nuclear missile forces," he said, while a number of other countries are developing non-ballistic long-range strike capabilities.
"All of these facts support expanding missile defense capabilities."
Related Links
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
