Why America Needs Its Own Iron Dome Air Defense
The Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the Arrow systems ensure the security of Israel’s borders. They can defend America too.
As U.S. Navy carrier strike groups continue to fend off Houthi-launched missile barrages in the Red Sea, the scope of Iran’s regional capabilities is becoming more evident. Tehran’s proxy affiliates positioned throughout the Middle East have proved to possess the capacity to disrupt the global flow of oil in the Red Sea as frequent missile, drone, and rocket strikes targeting Israel, international shipping, and American warships out at sea have become routine since 2023.
Israel’s ability to fend off strikes launched by the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza, and even direct hits from Iran can be attributed to its top-tier air defense apparatuses. The Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the Arrow 2/Arrow 3 systems work together to ensure the security of Israel’s borders. The success of these unparalleled air defense systems has caught the attention of the Trump administration, which hopes to develop a “Golden Dome” version of Israel’s Iron Dome to defend America’s homeland and overseas bases.
How Does Israel’s Iron Dome Work?
The sophistication of Israel’s Iron Dome is well recognized. Since the air defense system’s introduction to service in 2011, countless lives have been saved via its projectile interceptions, which have a success rate of 90 percent. With this figure in mind, the Iron Dome is truly unmatched when it comes to life-saving military equipment. The Iron Dome was designed by the Israeli-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems with U.S. backing, with the latter providing funding for the defense system. Built to intercept and take out short-range projectiles from a range of 2.5-90 miles, the vast majority of weapons launched toward Israel by its hostile neighbors are destroyed by the air defense system.
What About David’s Sling and Arrow 2/Arrow 3?
While the Iron Dome is certainly deserving of its infamous reputation, the cutting-edge air defense system does not act alone in securing Israel’s borders. Acting as the middle tier layer in defense between the Iron Dome and Arrow 2/Arrow 3 systems, Israel’s David’s Sling is tasked with intercepting medium- to long-range rockets with ranges too large for the Iron Dome to take care of. The formidable mid-tier of Israel’s air defense strategy is comprised of a vertical firing unit, a battle management operator station, an EML-2084 fire control radar, and perhaps most significantly, a Stunner interceptor. According to the system’s manufacturer Raytheon, the Stunner is capable of countering at least 92 percent of the worldwide theater ballistic missile threat inventory.
The newest tier to Israel’s layered air defense system is the Arrow. First employed in combat in 2017, this family of anti-ballistic missiles is designed to engage threats both in and outside the atmosphere. In 2024, Israel’s Defense Ministry director-general Eyal Zamir concluded that the Arrow 3 achieved the first-ever missile interception in space, making it the “central layer” in thwarting ballistic missile barrages.
Co-developed by the United States and Israel, both Arrow systems are considered to represent the best of their kind available across the globe. Arrow 2 uses a two-stage, solid-propellant booster to reach speeds up to Mach 9 (times the speed of sound). Its Arrow 3 successor incorporates many of the same functions, however, the newer anti-ballistic missile system works at faster speeds, longer ranges, and higher altitudes. As detailed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Missile Defense Project, Arrow 3’s booster and kill vehicle utilize thrust vector control for maneuvering, enabling the weapon to possess a flyout range of approximately 2,400km. What makes the Arrow 3 unique is its single rear thruster. Unlike other kill vehicles which use smaller divert thrusters for trajectory alterations, the Arrow 3 KV features a gimbaled, “which points toward the target as the vehicle changes its orientation,” rather than a fixed seeker.
What Would America’s Golden Dome Defend Against?
Although Israel’s proximity to its adversaries is much closer than America’s, the basic function of the Iron Dome and its related air defense partners is equally imperative for both nations. Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea all possess advancing intercontinental ballistic missile programs which could pose an existential threat to the United States if not properly countered.
Additionally, the air defense system could defend against a nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) strike. While this type of weapon is less recognized in the public sphere, it likely qualifies as one of the most threatening avenues a U.S. adversary could approach if planning to strike America. As defined by the U.S. Naval Institute, “An electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is the electromagnetic radiation from a nuclear explosion caused by Compton-recoil electrons and photoelectrons from photons scattered in the materials of the nuclear device or a surrounding medium.” In other words, U.S. adversaries like China could use satellites, high-speed missiles, and EMP weapons to essentially melt the American power grid. If this scenario were to play out, chaos would ensue as virtually every sector of U.S. life would be impacted.
In March, President Donald Trump revealed that the U.S. would pursue a similar “Golden Dome” apparatus, designed to protect the homeland from ballistic missile threats. According to Steven Morani, the current undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, progress to achieve this objective is already well underway. “Consistent with protecting the homeland and per President Trump’s [executive order], we’re working with the industrial base and [through] supply chain challenges associated with standing up the Golden Dome,” Morani said.
Considering Israel is roughly the size of the state of New Jersey, the Golden Dome project would certainly be vastly larger (and therefore pricier) than its Israeli counterpart. Considering the escalating geopolitical tensions present throughout the globe, particularly in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the South China Sea, doubling down on U.S. air protection efforts despite high costs is arguably vital for national security.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
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