Of all the executive orders issued by US President Donald Trump in the wake of his inauguration, the one ordering the creation of a new "Iron Dome" for the US on January 27 promises, if implemented, a strategic breakthrough at least as radical as that triggered by the rapprochement with Vladimir Putin's Russia. As envisaged, this future anti-missile shield requires a major and unprecedented "weaponization" of space. It is therefore with relative circumspection, if not trepidation, that all Western experts and military staffers, who have remained very discreet on the subject until now, await the first concrete draft of this project, expected Friday, February 28.

The American "Iron Dome," a campaign promise by Trump, is intended to be nothing less than a revival of Ronald Reagan's abortive "star wars" program – also known as the "Strategic Defense Initiative" (SDI) – in 1983. Named after one of Israel's homeland protection systems, it will involve both disruptive technological leaps and the significant development of space-based capabilities, a key area for detecting missile launches. However, on February 28, the American defense industry will have reached the deadline for submitting an initial list of proposals to the White House, so that implementation can begin very quickly.

You have 85.42% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.