Can Israel Aerospace Industries secure a spot in Trump’s 'Golden Dome' missile shield?

Israel Aerospace Industries hopes to be a lead player in US President Donald Trump's "Golden Dome" futuristic air defense of the US homeland, and might have a leg up on competitors with its success with the Arrow 2 and 3 missile defense systems, but will it get picked?

IAI officials on Thursday expressed hope about Israel's chances given that the Arrow missile defense systems have defended against far more ballistic missile targets than any other system on the planet to date, but did not believe that winning the bid was "in the bag."

They noted that there are still many questions about the program, such that it is even too early for them to file a formal bid.

The Golden Dome program manager has not yet been legally approved and its conceptual architecture is still very much a work in progress.

As an example, although Trump presented a price tag of $175 billion on May 20, the Congressional budget office put out a price tag of $831 billion over two decades.

A big question is whether Trump will lean on an "America First" approach, preferring US companies to produce the Golden Dome's anti-missile batteries and radars.

Even in that case, IAI has proved creative at finding local partners in the US and many other countries, such that it could still potentially participate, even if more indirectly.

Billion dollar initiative

The program, first ordered by Trump in January, aims to create a network of satellites, perhaps numbering in the hundreds, to detect, track, and potentially intercept incoming missiles.

Trump told a White House press conference that US Space Force General Michael Guetlein would be the lead program manager for an effort widely viewed as the keystone to Trump's military planning.

Golden Dome will "protect our homeland," Trump said.

In a previous interview with The Jerusalem Post, Boaz Levy, CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, said his company was well-positioned to contribute. 

“We’ve been cooperating with the United States on missile defense for three decades. The Arrow system, which we developed together, has been phenomenal in recent conflicts. It makes sense to expand this collaboration as Washington considers its next-generation missile defense,” Levy told the Post.

But then Israel managed to defend against two onslaughts from Iran of well over 100 ballistic missiles at a time in April 2024 and October 2024.

While many allies assisted, the Arrow defense system was at the center of a highly successful defense against the gargantuan aerial assault by Tehran.

“That event proved to world leaders that long-range ballistic missiles aren’t just an Israeli concern,” Levy said. “Iran demonstrated that it can launch large, coordinated missile barrages. Other nations are realizing they need defenses against this kind of threat.”

In response, demand for the IAI’s missile defense technology has surged.

“Before the war, we had already signed a major contract for Arrow 3 with an allied country,” Levy revealed. “Since then, interest has grown significantly, and more countries are looking to integrate these solutions.”

Israel hopes it will be part of Golden Dome plan

“There are multiple ways to defend against missiles, including emerging laser technologies,” Levy explained. “But when it comes to ballistic missiles, you want to intercept them as early as possible – ideally outside the atmosphere. That’s where Arrow excels.”

Levy acknowledged that Jerusalem’s proposal may not be chosen as Washington prioritizes American-made defense systems. But he emphasized the broader importance of US-Israel defense ties.

“Even if our technology isn’t selected, we are committed to working with the US to develop the best possible solution. The United States is our closest ally, and this partnership will only grow stronger.”

“We don’t need to send the US much new data,” Levy said. “They already have it because we built the Arrow system together.”

Zvika Klein and Reuters contributed to this report.

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