IRONDOME Act of 2025
IRONDOME Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# IRONDOME Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary The IRONDOME Act is a defense bill that aims to strengthen U.S. missile defense capabilities. If passed, it would require the Department of Defense to reorganize how missile defense is managed: the Missile Defense Agency would hand off day-to-day operations to the military branches so it can focus on developing new technologies.
The bill also directs the military to use faster, more flexible acquisition processes to test and develop drone and satellite systems for missile defense purposes, and requires military commanders to include their missile defense needs in their annual budget requests. The bill primarily affects the Department of Defense, military branches, and defense contractors involved in missile defense systems. It has implications for national security infrastructure across the U.S., with particular relevance to Alaska and Hawaii mentioned in the bill's scope—areas geographically positioned to require missile defense capabilities. Currently, the bill (S 435) is in committee, meaning it has been introduced but not yet voted on by the full Senate. It was sponsored by Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican from Alaska.
CRS Official Summary
Increasing Response Options and Deterrence of Missile Engagements Act of 2025 or the IRONDOME Act of 2025This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and other entities to take specified actions to support U.S. missile defense capabilities, particularly with respect to the U.S. homeland.DOD must submit to Congress a multi-year phased plan to transfer operations and sustainment responsibility for missile defense from the Missile Defense Agency to the appropriate military departments to allow the Missile Defense Agency to focus on research, development, and prototyping and testing.Additionally, among other elements, the bill requiresthe United States Northern Command and the Space Development Agency within DOD to use a specified acquisition process to conduct rapid testing and development of certain drone and satellite systems;each commander of a combatant command to include the missile defense interceptor and sensor requirements of the command in annual budget requests;DOD to use all authorities available to accelerate the development, production, and modernization of various defense systems and technology, including certain space-based interceptors; andthe Department of the Army to procure and field airships in support of the missile defense of the U.S. homeland from drones and ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles.On January 27, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled The Iron Dome for America. The order directs DOD to develop plans for a next-generation missile defense shield to protect the U.S. homeland from ballistic, hypersonic, and advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial attacks.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.