The Golden Dome’s Blind Spot
Published October 9, 2025
@ 7:00 am
By Will Hurd
The Trump administration’s proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative could revolutionize homeland defense.
But the debate around it is overlooking a critical point. The most immediate threats to the nation will come not from enemy missiles that are launched into space and then arc down toward us. They will come from the “underlayer” — the low-altitude area where traditional radar coverage is weakest and terrain masking allows adversaries to approach undetected.
Done right, Golden Dome isn’t just about intercepting enemy weapons. It’s also about modernizing the civilian systems that millions of Americans rely on every day to fly safely. The same investment can close our biggest military blind spot and upgrade the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) aging infrastructure.
The overlooked underlayer
U.S. missile defense has long been structured around protecting from intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) reentering the atmosphere from space. But today’s adversaries are innovating entirely different technologies.
https://defenseopinion.com/the-golden-domes-blind-spot/1046/
