Peter Mitchell
Two months ago, President Trump directed the development of a national missile defense system initially dubbed “Iron Dome” and rebranded in February as “Golden Dome". Its stated purpose is to establish a layered and integrated defense shield to protect the United States against ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, advanced cruise missiles, and other emerging aerial threats.
The executive order acknowledges that similar ambitions are not new. It references President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative, noting that while it “resulted in many technological advances,” the program was ultimately “canceled before its goal could be realized.”
However, the current order justifies renewed urgency, asserting that “over the past 40 years, rather than lessening, the threat from next-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex.” It specifically cites adversaries’ development of “next-generation delivery systems and their own homeland integrated air and missile defense capabilities.”
Success in realizing this monumental undertaking will depend on avoiding past pitfalls while leveraging existing technologies and institutional expertise.
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