The Iron Dome for America
Honest Title:
Global Missile Defense Race Starter
Document Details
Constitutional Risk
0/ 10
Low RiskSigned by: Donald J. Trump
Signed: 1/27/2025
Last Updated: 2/9/2025
Executive Order
View OriginalSummary
Order directs DOD to create a next-gen missile defense, including space-based interceptors, and improve allied defense. It aims to deter attacks and ensure a second-strike capability. Plans due in 60 days.
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Executive Order
5 analysis sectionsUpdates
- 2024-07 (Analysis prior to EO): DefenseOne (https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2024/07/can-donald-trump-really-build-iron-dome-over-america/398394/) - Cost estimates that defending the continental US would require over 24,700 Iron Dome batteries at a cost of $100 million per battery.
- 2025-01-23 (Analysis prior to EO): Washington Times (https://www.washingtonTimes.com/news/2025/jan/23/dismissed-trump-iron-dome-america-missile-shield-w/) - Cost estimates of $2 trillion to construct a literal Iron Dome-style system for the entire continental United States have been cited.
- 2025-01-27: The White House (https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-directs-the-building-of-the-iron-dome-missile-defense-shield-for-america/) - President Trump signed an executive order to build an "Iron Dome for America," a next-generation missile defense shield for the United States homeland.
- 2025-01-28: NY1 (https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/military/2025/01/28/iron-dome-defense-department-trump-executive-order) - The Defense Department is tasked with deploying and maintaining the "Iron Dome" system.
- 2025-01-28: New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/us/politics/trump-iron-dome-defense-system-feasibility.html) - Experts have raised questions about the feasibility of implementing an Iron Dome-style system in the United States, given its size.
- 2025-01-28: NPR (https://www.npr.org/2025/01/28/nx-s1-5277155/trump-military-transgender-dei-iron-dome-orders) - The Executive Order appears to go beyond the existing systems and calls for the development of new space-based defenses that would likely take years to deploy. It's not known exactly what Trump means by "Iron Dome" because few details were released but greatly expanding missile defenses — which don't have a great track record in tests — is enormously expensive, possibly $100s of billions or more.