Trump wants to build 'Made in USA' Iron Dome air defense system

On January 27, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Pentagon to develop an air defense system similar to the 'Iron Dome' system currently used by Israel.

According to AFP, Mr. Trump has set a 60-day deadline for the US Secretary of Defense to submit a plan to deploy a "new generation missile defense shield", designed to counter advanced ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles, which Mr. Trump calls the "American Iron Dome" system.

“Over the past 40 years, the threat from new-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex, rather than decreasing,” the January 27 decree said, mentioning that some US adversaries have increased their missile development capabilities, although it did not specify which countries.

Israel's Iron Dome system intercepts rockets launched from Gaza Strip in October 2023

President Trump said that the US "is protecting other countries but not protecting itself", and mentioned that former US President Ronald Reagan wanted to build an Iron Dome-style air defense system during the Cold War but was limited in technology.

"Now we have incredible technology. You can see that in Israel. So I think America should do the same thing. Everything will be made in America 100%," Fox News quoted Mr. Trump as saying at a meeting of Republican Party members in Florida on January 27.

Iron Dome is a short-range air defense system used by the Israeli military in conjunction with the long-range Arrow-2/Arrow-3 and medium-range David's Sling interceptors, forming a multi-layered air defense. According to Reuters, Iron Dome is Israel's most widely used air defense system, focusing on intercepting short-range rockets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

It is unclear how Trump’s order would work. Military observers say that new intercontinental ballistic missiles pose the main threat to the US, so a short-range air defense system similar to Israel’s Iron Dome would be unsuitable if developed in the US.

Also on January 27, Mr. Trump signed executive orders changing regulations and mechanisms in the US military, including a ban on transgender people joining the armed forces.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-trump-muon-xay-he-thong-phong-khong-vom-sat-made-in-usa-185250128171246738.htm