The US Space Force has assembled a team of technical experts to support the Trump administration's Iron Dome missile defense initiative.. This "comprehensive planning group" (IPT) has a wide range of knowledge, which will be critical in developing a missile shield architecture to protect US territory from missile threats, General Saltzman, Head of Space Forces Space Forces, told reporters 24 February.
Decree "Iron Dome for America", signed by President Donald Trump 27 January , directs Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to submit a comprehensive plan detailing the architecture, requirements and strategies for the implementation of the anti-missile defense system. A notable aspect of the directive is its emphasis on space-based sensors and space-based interceptors.
Missile Defense Agency, which deals with the country's existing missile defense shield, took the lead in organizing meetings with the defense industry to assess the state of technology.
Space Development Agency, an organization within the Space Forces, buys hundreds of satellites for a sprawling network of sensors to track missiles in low Earth orbit, which will become part of the Iron Dome.
Given the great dependence of the future system on space assets, "I think, that we have to play a central role", Salzman said.
Trump's decree states that, that the United States needs a multi-layered defense against modern missile threats, including ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles. The administration claims, that a modern anti-missile shield will keep the adversaries at bay, such as Russia and China from using their missile capabilities.
Meanwhile, some experts doubt the technical feasibility and financial viability of implementing a nationwide missile defense system, similar to the Israeli Iron Dome, which is intended for short-range threats.
Analysis of the Ministry of Defense, which should be completed in the coming weeks, will determine, what existing programs directly support Iron Dome requirements and where gaps may exist, which require research and development efforts. One of the specific areas, allocated in the decree, there is a study of the deployment of interceptor missiles in orbit.
Source: https://spacenews.com/space-force-to-play-central-role-in-iron-dome-u-s-missile-defense-initiative/