Trump's Order to Establish 'Iron Dome' for Defense of the United States

On Monday, February 8, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced in a directive that the United States will ensure 'joint defense of its citizens and country through the deployment and maintenance of a next-generation missile defense shield.' Several news agencies around the world referred to it as the order to form an 'American Iron Dome.' According to the White House website, Trump, referencing his powers under the Constitution and U.S. laws, including as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, stated: 'The threat of attack from ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, as well as other advanced aerial attacks, remains the greatest catastrophic threat to the United States.' He noted the efforts of former President Ronald Reagan to 'create an effective defense against nuclear attacks,' adding: 'That program led to many technological advancements but was canceled before achieving its goals.' The U.S. President further stated: 'Since the U.S. withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002 and began developing limited missile defense for U.S. territory, the official missile defense policy has focused solely on outpacing threats from rogue states and accidental or unauthorized missile launches.' He emphasized that 'over the past 40 years, instead of reducing threats, the threat from new strategic weapons has become more complex and severe due to the development of next-generation launch systems and integrated missile defense capabilities by near-peer competitors.' In his directive to 'advance the goal of peace through strength, U.S. policy,' Trump wrote that the U.S. 'will ensure joint defense of its citizens and country through the deployment and maintenance of a next-generation missile defense shield' and added: 'The United States will prevent foreign aerial attacks on its territory and will defend its citizens and critical infrastructure against them.' He also instructed the U.S. Secretary of Defense to present a plan 'based on capabilities and a program for implementing the next-generation missile defense shield' within 60 days, which includes 'defense of the United States against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial attacks,' 'development and deployment of intercept systems in the initial launch phase,' 'deployment of interception capabilities in the final stages of attacks to counter nuclear strikes,' and 'development and deployment of a secure supply chain for all components with next-generation security features.' Trump also emphasized that 'the United States will continue missile defense cooperation with its allies and partners' and instructed the Secretary of Defense to initiate reviews for 'enhancing bilateral and multilateral cooperation with U.S. allies' after presenting the next-generation missile defense structure. Trump’s contact with the British Prime Minister and emphasis on increased cooperation, his focus on eliminating racial and gender discrimination in the U.S. military, his request to Congress for increased border security funding, and the new U.S. Secretary of Defense's emphasis on establishing 'peace through strength' were also highlighted.