WASHINGTON — Two Republican senators are throwing their weight behind President Donald Trump’s ambitious plan for a next-generation missile defense shield that would leverage space-based technology to counter evolving threats.
Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced the “Iron Dome Act” on Feb. 6, proposing $19.5 billion in funding for fiscal year 2026 to implement Trump’s recent executive order dubbed “Iron Dome for America.” The legislation includes $960 million for space-based technologies.
The move comes just days after Trump’s Jan. 28 executive order, which directed the Pentagon to develop a comprehensive missile defense system heavily reliant on space sensors for tracking hypersonic missiles — like those being developed by China — which fly at extremely high speeds and can maneuver to evade traditional ground-based radar systems.
While the funding proposed in the senators’ bill is largely allocated to existing missile defense programs and still requires appropriations approval, it represents a congressional endorsement of Trump’s vision.
The legislation’s introduction isn’t surprising given both senators’ track records. Cramer, in particular, has been a vocal champion of the Space Force’s Space Development Agency, which established satellite ground stations in his home state at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota.
Technology behind the shield
The proposed missile defense system would integrate space technologies being developed under different programs.
The Missile Defense Agency’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) layer would deploy medium-field-of-view cameras designed to provide precise missile tracking and targeting coordinates to anti-missile interceptors.
The Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) would maintain continuous monitoring of enemy missile threats.
The most controversial piece of the plan calls for space-based interceptors capable of taking out missiles during their boost phase – a significant escalation in space-based capabilities.
Technical hurdles ahead
Defense industry experts point to some challenges in implementing such an ambitious system. Eric Brown, a defense industry executive with experience in military space programs, highlighted the complexity of creating a seamless network of interconnected sensors across different orbital planes.
“The Pentagon has developed many of the technologies needed for the Iron Dome, but perhaps the element with the greatest technical difficulty is stitching the fabric together,” Brown said.
A particular hurdle lies in coordinating assets from multiple agencies. “Some of those assets may be coming from the Space Force and the Space Development Agency. Some of those may be coming from the Missile Defense Agency. Some of them may be coming from the intelligence community,” Brown explained. “How do you cross all of those lines to get a common operating picture with sufficient fidelity that you can actually act on it and take out a target?”
Reagan’s Star Wars redux
The push for space-based interceptors echoes President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) — nicknamed “Star Wars” — from four decades ago. That program faced criticism over its large price tag and concerns it would destabilize relations with the Soviet Union and accelerate the weaponization of space.
However, analysts Tom Karako and Clayton Swope from the Center for Strategic and International Studies argue in a recent op-ed that the technological and cost barriers that doomed SDI no longer exist. They suggest the Pentagon should outline its requirements and seek industry input to determine what’s feasible in today’s landscape.
What’s next
The path forward for the Iron Dome remains complex. The Pentagon has yet to release its 2026 budget proposal, and the Secretary of Defense is expected to develop a detailed implementation plan. The Missile Defense Agency on Feb. 18 is scheduled to host an “Industry Day” to assess the readiness of various technologies needed to track and intercept hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles.
The project will require unprecedented coordination, as Brown noted, “there’s been a whole bunch of different agencies, each trying to figure out its own piece.” Trump’s executive order demands a “whole of government solution from sensing through missile defeat,” setting the stage for a complex integration challenge that will test the limits of both technology and bureaucracy.
