Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy wants to build an “Iron Dome” to protect the United States. But experts say he might first want to check his facts – and his decade. Here is the full story.
Security on His Mind
When Vivek Ramaswamy made a campaign stop in New Hampshire the third week of October, one of his missions was to share his vision for how to beef up America’s homeland protection.
Building an Iron Dome
Chief among the Republican presidential candidate’s plans if he eventually takes office is building what he terms an “Iron Dome.”
A Model to Follow
That’s a concept some Middle Eastern countries employ to try and protect themselves from missiles fired by neighboring countries. The purpose of the Iron Dome is to shoot down short-range surface-to-surface missiles.
He Has a Problem
But here is a problem with Ramaswamy’s plan to adopt an Iron Dome approach for the United States.
Within Dome Range
As a 2023 report from the Congressional Research Services details, the Iron Dome is meant to shoot down rockets launched from up to 43 miles away from their targets.
Howdy, Neighbor!
That makes them perfect for combatting strikes launched by one country into their neighbor’s backyard, but it doesn’t really fit the global situation of the U.S.
Can’t Handle the Speed
Ramaswamy contends that Russia and China have hypersonic missiles which could reach the United States quickly, which may or may not be true. Either way, he says, that’s something that the U.S. is not prepared for.
The Wrong Tool
But NBC News reports that the Iron Dome would be of no use in guarding against intercontinental hypersonics, due to both their speed and stratospheric trajectory.
One City at a Time
And, according to the Congressional Research Service report, the Iron Dome can only protect an area about the size of Washington, D.C.
A Nation of Domes
That means that thousands of Iron Dome installations would be necessary to guard against the sort of wide-scale attacks that Russia and China might be capable of staging.
Space-Age Propaganda
But Ramaswamy remains unswayed by those arguments and amps up the fear factor a bit further.
“China and Russia have space-based capabilities on the offense,” he told supporters gathered in New Hampshire.
A Joke or a Prediction?
Then Ramaswamy delivered some news that might be equal parts punchline and foreshadowing.
Losing the Space Race
“We have neither space-based offense nor defensive capabilities,” Ramaswamy said.
Ronnie Would Be Proud
If that sort of line sounds familiar to Ramaswamy’s older potential voters, it’s because Ronald Reagan drove hard for a space-based defense system in the 1980s.
Lasers for the Win
The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was one of Reagan’s darlings, aimed at building a net of space-based lasers capable of intercepting any incoming missiles.
Big Spend, Little Results
After billions of dollars spent and little in the way of results, SDI went by the wayside as the Reagan years faded into the rearview.
Star Wars Fantasies
But even in the midst of building SDI, Reagan faced opposition and even ridicule.
Political opponents often referred to the project as Reagan’s “Star Wars” plan, a snide nickname that stuck.
The Iron Dome Strikes Back
Now, it seems like Ramaswamy is bent on following in Reagan’s footsteps into the realm of space wars.
In the process, he risks becoming the Iron Dome candidate who never really stood a chance.
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The post Ramaswamy’s Bold Vision of Bringing Back Reagan’s Star Wars as America’s Ultimate Shield first appeared on Career Step Up.
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