US President Donald Trump is planning to sign an executive order that would begin the process of creating a “next generation” missile defence system to protect the United States from threats posed by ballistic missiles and other long-range attacks.
“The threat of attack by ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles remains a catastrophic threat facing the United States,” states a White House document cited by CNN about the proposed order.
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The order outlines plans for creating an advanced defence system, similar to Israel’s Iron Dome, which was developed in partnership with the US. Iron Dome is designed to counter a range of threats, including drones, rockets, and cruise missiles.
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The initiative seeks to speed up the development and deployment of advanced systems capable of detecting, intercepting, and neutralising incoming missiles, with provisions to prevent such attacks before they are launched.
A fact sheet on the executive order describes this next-generation defence shield as a safeguard against “catastrophic threats,” though no such weapons have been used against US territory in modern warfare.
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The document also criticises existing homeland missile defence policies, adding that they focus primarily on countering threats from rogue nations or accidental missile launches. The president has said that the new system “will be made all in the USA.”
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon on Monday, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth hinted at additional executive orders in the pipeline. “Today, there are more executive orders coming… on removing DEI inside the Pentagon, reinstating troops who were pushed out because of Covid mandates, [and] Iron Dome for America,” Hegseth said.
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“This is happening quickly, and as the secretary of defence, it’s an honour to ensure these orders are complied with rapidly and effectively,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)