An executive order said the United States faced a “catastrophic threat” from advanced aerial weapons. But a defense system like Israel’s may not be feasible in the country, which is more than 400 times larger.

The Ground-Based Midcourse Defence (GMD) system, widely regarded as the backbone of US missile defence, is designed to intercept intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with a range of over 1,500 miles. However, as China, Russia, and Iran develop more advanced weapons, its ability to counter hypersonic threats remains uncertain.

The United States is estimated to have spent more than $400 billion on the kinds of antimissile goals that the president now says will provide “for the common defense.”

President Donald Trump is preparing an executive order for a “next-generation” defense shield to protect the US against ballistic missiles and other long-range attacks, taking on a goal that past administrations — including his own — struggled to reach.

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order to start planning for an "Iron Dome" air defense system for the United States, like the one that Israel has used