S. 435 — IRONDOME Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings citing the 2022 Missile Defense Review, the October 2023 Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, and the July 2024 Commission on the National Defense Strategy on escalating missile threats from adversaries including ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic weapons; the need to modernize and expand the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system and develop integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) capabilities; and Federal Government policy to deploy a next-generation missile defense shield, deter homeland attacks, and guarantee secure second-strike capability. The section expresses the sense of the Senate that missile defense constitutes national and border security; current policy is limited despite growing threats from China, Russia, and North Korea; systems such as Iron Dome, GMD, and the Next Generation Interceptor are critical; and the United States requires total domain awareness for early warning and defeat of threats.

This section defines, for purposes of the Act, (1) "congressional defense committees" as having the meaning given that term in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code, and (2) "Secretary" as the Secretary of Defense.

This section requires multiple actions to improve U.S. missile defense capabilities, as follows: (1) a multi-year phased plan, due within 120 days of enactment, to transfer missile defense operations and sustainment from the Missile Defense Agency to military departments (executable only after specific congressional authorization); (2) use by U.S. Northern Command of middle tier acquisition authorities under 10 U.S.C. §3602 (i.e., rapid prototyping or rapid fielding pathways for programs completed in two to five years) for a drone-based network using audio sensing to detect advanced missiles, including cruise and hypersonic missiles; (3) use by the Space Development Agency of middle tier acquisition authorities under 10 U.S.C. §3602 for rapid fielding of satellites and systems for tranches 3, 4, and 5 of its proliferated warfighter space architecture; (4) expansion of Next Generation Interceptor production and silo construction at Fort Greely, Alaska, to field at least 80 interceptors by January 1, 2038; (5) inclusion by combatant commanders, for each fiscal year after enactment, of missile defense interceptor, terrestrial sensor, and space-based sensor requirements in budget-supporting information submitted with the President's budget; (6) use of all available authorities to accelerate Glide Phase Interceptor development against hypersonic threats, plus a Missile Defense Agency report due within one year on parallel development options, revised schedules, and risks of single alternatives; (7) use of all available authorities to accelerate Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system production and fielding, including AN/TPY-2 radars; (8) use of all available authorities to accelerate autonomous agents against cruise missile and drone raids; (9) use of all available authorities to accelerate proliferated space-based interceptors for boost-phase intercept; (10) a feasibility study due within 180 days on reducing per-round costs for space-based interceptors (kinetic and non-kinetic); (11) use of all available authorities to accelerate modernization of specified terrestrial radars (Cobra Dane, Thule BMEWS, UEWR in Greenland and Cape Cod, Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii, Alaska Radar System); (12) use of all available authorities to accelerate Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS) modernization and digitization for improved missile threat detection and space domain awareness; and (13) a site selection and program execution plan due within 180 days for a southern hemisphere-facing early warning radar system.

This section authorizes appropriations of $19,548,100,000 for FY2026 to carry out this Act, allocated as follows: (1) $500,000,000 for SM–3 Block 1B requirements; (2) $500,000,000 for SM–3 Block IIA requirements; (3) $1,400,000,000 for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Systems; (4) $1,500,000,000 for PAC–2 and PAC–3 Munitions and MM–104 Patriot batteries; (5) $1,000,000,000 for east coast and Alaska-based Aegis Ashore station construction; (6) $12,000,000,000 for expansion of missile interceptor fields at Fort Greely, Alaska, to 80 units with the Next Generation Interceptor; (7) $250,000,000 for completion and certification of Hawaii Aegis Ashore system; (8) $60,000,000 for Space Development Agency satellite sensors; (9) $750,000,000 for modernization of terrestrial-based domain awareness radars; (10) $500,000,000 for research and development of directed energy or missile interception across the military departments; (11) $900,000,000 for research and development of space-based missile defense; (12) $63,100,000 for Missile Defense Complex (MDC) and Fire Team Readiness Facility (FTRF); (13) $100,000,000 for procurement and fielding of dirigibles; and (14) $25,000,000 for Missile Defense Agency military construction to continue planning and design activities for an east coast missile defense interceptor site.