() President Donald Trump’s $175 billion “Golden Dome” missile defense system will likely have the support from “commanders in the field,” according to retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery.
Trump announced the concept in the Oval Office on Tuesday, saying it would put U.S. weapons in space for the first time and be “fully operational” by the end of his term in early 2029, though a U.S. official familiar with the program said it could take longer.
“I was a commander in the field, and we asked for it,” said Montgomery. “So let’s be clear, we’ve needed missile defense against hypersonic cruise and ballistic missiles.”
Israel’s multilayered defenses, often collectively referred to as the “Iron Dome,” have played a key role in defending it from rocket and missile fire from Iran and allied militant groups in the conflict unleashed by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
The sophisticated system, developed over decades with considerable U.S. support, is capable of detecting incoming fire and deploying only if the projectile is headed toward a population center or sensitive military or civilian infrastructure. Israeli leaders say the system isn’t 100% guaranteed but credit it with preventing serious damage and countless casualties.
It’s something Montgomery said should also exist in the U.S.
“Yes, the commanders want it. That’s the first thing I’d say. And we need this kind of capability.”
