What America’s Iron Dome effort should learn from Israel’s air defense systems
Israel’s history of developing new air defenses to defend against emerging threats is closely entwined with the US experience in air defenses.
By Seth J. Frantzman
on February 14, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Rockets launched towards Israel from the northern Gaza Strip and response from the Israeli missile defense system known as the Iron Dome leave streaks through the sky on May 14, 2021 in Gaza City, Gaza. (Photo by Fatima Shbair/Getty Images)
On Jan. 27 President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at creating “a next-generation missile defense shield for the United States against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial attacks,” something he dubbed an “Iron Dome for America.”
That term references the well-known short range Israeli air defense system that has been effective in countering thousands of rocket, and other types of aerial attacks on Israel. The main difference between the Israeli experience, and what the White House is embarking upon, is the fact that the US faces much larger global threats on an exponentially larger scale. Israel is less than one percent the size of the US.
Still, there are absolutely lessons the Pentagon can, and should, learn from Israel’s experience with a multi-layered missile defense network — clearly the inspiration behind Trump’s push.
https://breakingdefense.com/2025/02/what-americas-iron-dome-effort-should-learn-from-israels-air-defense-systems/
