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Two Republican lawmakers have officially introduced legislation to expand and modernize the US missile defense system in an effort to counter growing threats from China and Russia.
Some shit you should know before you read: Over the last 6 years, the US has allocated significant funding to modernize its missile defense and deterrence capabilities, with both military officials and US lawmakers from both parties stressing the need to counter the growing military advancements of China & Russia. A key component of this effort is the Sentinel program, a next-gen intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system expected to cost at least $140.9 billion. The Sentinel program is designed to replace the aging Minuteman III missiles and ensure the long-term credibility of the US nuclear deterrent. In addition to this program, there have been growing calls for the US to upgrade its defensive capabilities, not just its offensive ones.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) introduced legislation seeking $19.5 billion in funding for fiscal year 2026 to expand and modernize the US missile defense system significantly. The legislation, dubbed the “Iron Dome Act,” would nearly double the Missile Defense Agency’s current fiscal 2025 request of $10.4 billion.
Here’s where the money would go:
- $12 billion to expand missile interceptor fields at Fort Greely in Alaska
- $1.4 billion for (THAAD) systems
- $1.5 billion for PAC-2, PAC-3 munitions, & MM-104 Patriot batteries
- $1 billion to build Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense infrastructure in Alaska & on the East Coast
- $900 million to research & develop space-based missile defense
- $750 million to modernize terrestrial-based domain awareness radars
- $500 million to research & develop directed energy or missile interception capabilities across all military departments
- $250 million to complete & certify Hawaii’s Aegis Ashore system
- $100 million for the procurement
- $60 million to develop space-based satellite sensors
- $63.1 million to build a Missile Defense Complex
- $25 million for Missile Defense Agency planning & design activities at Fort Drum, New York
In a statement, Senator Sullivan said, “For decades, American missile defense strategy has focused on protecting our country from ballistic missile threats posed by rogue nations or accidental launches from a peer nation. We’ve made significant progress in recent years to strengthen this capability, notably through the implementation of my bipartisan 2017 Advancing America’s Missile Defense Act. But the proliferation of new hypersonic and cruise missile threats from our adversaries demands that we change this paradigm. Senator Cramer and I are introducing legislation to build a homeland missile defense system that can protect our country from the intensifying threats and growing arsenals of China and Russia.” Senator Cramer also chimed in, saying, “Now more than ever, we have to ensure the United States is properly equipped to address the pressing threats that are posed by our very capable adversaries. Protecting the homeland is obviously our first Constitutional duty. The IRON DOME Act forces modernization of our missile defense systems from Alaska to North Dakota to Maine to Florida to California and back up to Alaska. This will ensure that we’re never caught off guard from a modern missile attack on our homeland.”
