GOP senators introduce Golden Dome Act to counter Iranian missile threats

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EXCLUSIVE – With the Iran state of affairs intensifying, senators will put ahead a invoice Tuesday that creates the "Golden Dome" missile protection system modeled off Israel’s Iron Dome that President Donald Trump requested for originally of his time period.

Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., got here collectively to craft the Floor & Orbital Launched Defeat of Emergent Nuclear Destruction and Different Missile Engagements (Golden Dome) Act, a $21 billion congressional authorization break up amongst greater than two dozen particular person defensive methods.

It comes after Trump ordered in January {that a} protection system be realized in response to the "risk of assault by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, and different superior aerial assaults." Trump later confirmed his plan to hunt building of the Golden Dome at a Could White Home look with Sullivan.

"The escalating missile threats we’ve witnessed from the Iranian terrorist regime and the quickly evolving hypersonic, cruise missile and drone threats from Russia, China, and different adversaries exhibit why we have to develop a sturdy, modernized missile protection system to guard all the nation—which the Golden Dome Act will do," Sullivan informed Fox Information Digital.

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President Donald Trump introduced his proposal for a "Golden Dome" missile protection system in the US on Could 20, 2025. (Reuters; Getty)

"The three prongs of profitable coverage in D.C. are presidential management, appropriated funding and complete authorizing laws."

Trump’s order cited former President Ronald Reagan’s so-called "Star Wars" plan to construct laser-based nuclear protection methods in opposition to the Soviet Union, whereas Sullivan and Cramer took a giant step Tuesday towards creating one thing much more complete.

Just like "Star Wars," the Golden Dome plan requires the event and deployment of space-based weapons sensors, in addition to analysis into one other orbital part, Proliferated Warfighter House Structure.

Sullivan’s state of Alaska is residence to a few of North America’s most necessary extant protection methods, notably at Clear House Pressure Base close to Fairbanks and Fort Greely in Delta Junction.

The latter is residence to Alaska Military Nationwide Guard members who present "operational management and safety for the nation’s ground-based interceptors," based on Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy. There are about 80 interceptors at-the-ready at Fort Greely.

The Golden Dome plan builds on such defenses, by creating, sustaining and/or revitalizing different websites as nicely, together with the Cobra Dane – a land-based "passive electronically scanned array" radar system positioned within the Aleutian Chain.

"Alaska is a giant a part of [missile defense] as a result of the placement is type of excellent," Trump stated. As each the easternmost and westernmost state within the union, Alaska can also be the industrial and defensive gateway to Asia, state officers have famous.

Specifics of the Golden Dome Act would focus first on current conditions the U.S. can reply to within the near-term, together with upgrading methods and replenishing munitions short-in-supply like PAC-3 "Patriot" missiles.

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The second piece of the puzzle is forward-looking, based on a supply conversant in the hassle, specializing in applied sciences like space-based interceptors and air-moving-target indicators — capabilities the U.S. has but to totally grasp.

Some property to be used in any China-Taiwan contingency are already in Alaska, foreshadowing that the parts of the Golden Dome could be topic to a sturdy testing regime.

The Golden Dome would additionally embody a battle-management system, permitting Trump or a future commander in chief to have visibility and the panoply of choices at his fingertips if an assault on the U.S. surfaces.

The Golden Dome would additionally embody the AEGIS Ashore missile vary in Kauai, Hawaii, and, in Cramer’s state, the Perimeter Acquisition Radar System at Cavalier House Pressure Base.

Further cellular launch methods could be created throughout the nation, in addition to an "early warning" radar set up to be developed someplace within the South.

"The GOLDEN DOME Act will increase our nationwide safety by enhancing all-domain consciousness -- eyes and ears upon which any missile-defense structure depends; bolstering missile and drone defeat capability to fulfill the peer and near-peer risk; and accelerating new capabilities to the power to counter future threats to the homeland," Sullivan and Cramer’s plan learn.

"Regardless of this growing risk, United States homeland missile protection coverage has been severely restricted to staying forward of rogue nation threats and unintentional or unauthorized missile launches."

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Cramer, whose state was topic to suspicious Chinese language land purchases close to a delicate navy base, stated U.S. adversaries’ weapons tech has superior, so the U.S.' protection ought to keep forward of them.

"We've to behave so as to defend in opposition to the evolving and sophisticated risk panorama. Senator Sullivan and I launched the GOLDEN DOME Act to construct a layered missile protection system, which protects our homeland from catastrophic assaults from trendy missiles," Cramer stated.

Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., who will lead companion laws within the Home, added that the U.S. "should stand prepared to forestall nuclear weapons from harming our residents."

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox Information Digital.

He joined Fox Information in 2013 as a author and manufacturing assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and tradition for Fox Information Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple College with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story suggestions may be despatched to charles.creitz@fox.com.