The United States' planned 'Golden Dome' missile defense system could leave the nation vulnerable to drone and cruise missile attacks by prioritizing costly, long-term space-based capabilities over immediate, lower-altitude threats, according to a report by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA).
The report, titled "The Missing Shield: Acquiring Israeli Air Defenses Makes Golden Dome Sustainable," argues that the current funding priorities for Golden Dome favor strategic and space-based systems that may take years to become operational. This focus, the JINSA analysis contends, inadequately addresses increasingly frequent threats such as drones and shorter-range projectiles that could strike U.S. cities, military installations, and critical infrastructure.
Ari Cicurel, the report's author, stated that while long-range defenses are essential, they should not come at the expense of systems capable of countering current threats. "The most frequent and immediate threats are actually short range projectiles, particularly drones," Cicurel said, pointing to recent drone overflights in U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., as evidence of this vulnerability.
The JINSA report suggests integrating Israeli air defense technology into Golden Dome, citing significant cost savings. According to the report, Israeli-designed launchers could be 58% to 88% less expensive, interceptors 19% to 97% less expensive, and radars 32% to 87% less expensive compared to U.S. systems. These savings, the analysis proposes, could allow the Pentagon to acquire more equipment, increase interceptor stockpiles, and still fund advanced strategic and space-based technologies.
The Pentagon has stated that Golden Dome is being designed as a layered system to address a wide range of threats, including hypersonic and ballistic missiles, advanced cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial systems. However, the department has not provided sufficient details about the system's intended architecture, making precise cost projections difficult. A Congressional Budget Office analysis from May estimated that a national missile defense system, broadly consistent with the concept, could cost approximately $1.2 trillion over 20 years.
The JINSA report specifically recommends incorporating Israeli systems such as Iron Dome for short-range threats, David's Sling for medium-range threats, Arrow for ballistic missiles, and Iron Beam for laser interception. Cicurel emphasized that this proposal is not merely about purchasing foreign weapons, as U.S. companies are already involved in the development and production of these Israeli systems. The report indicates that 102 companies across 34 states participate in the production of Israeli air defense systems.
Recent conflicts, including fighting involving Iran, have highlighted vulnerabilities such as rapid depletion of interceptor inventories and strain on production lines, the report notes. Cicurel commented that "Both the U.S. and the Israeli defense industrial bases were not well equipped to handle the amount of production that either country needed."
To address these concerns, the JINSA report calls for dedicated funding for short- and medium-range defenses within Golden Dome, expanded joint production, and inclusion of this cooperation in future U.S.-Israel agreements. It also recommends updating export control and technology-sharing regulations, while acknowledging challenges related to interoperability, classified data, and intellectual property.
Former President Donald Trump has described Golden Dome as a critical homeland defense initiative. The upcoming meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump in Washington presents an opportunity to advance discussions on integrating Israeli air defense capabilities into the U.S. missile shield.