Commentary Space SecurityAir Power and Cross-Domain Integration Protecting the Homeland: The Iron Dome for America PublishedMarch 5, 2025 By Ioannis Nikas, Grayson Phillips Download PDF A threat-representative ICBM target launches from the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands March 25, 2019. It was successfully intercepted by two long-range Ground-based Interceptors launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., in the first salvo test of GBIs. On January 27, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) entitled “The Iron Dome for America.” Citing the potentially “catastrophic threat” from across the missile spectrum, its stated purpose is to “provide for the common defense of [American] citizens and the Nation.” In an evolving and diverse threat environment, this order calls for a modernized missile defense infrastructure tailored to present-day and near-future challenges. Achieving the policy goals outlined in the EO will require significant innovation and investment, and issues of feasibility, cost, and implications for strategic stability will again be debated.
