Japan to join United States’ “Golden Dome”

Japan has agreed to participate in the United States’ “Golden Dome” missile defence initiative, signalling deeper strategic cooperation with United States in advanced air and missile defence systems.

According to reports, Japan expects that U.S. President Donald Trump may request Tokyo to produce or co-develop missiles that could help replenish American munitions stocks depleted due to U.S. involvement in the Iran–Israel conflict 2025 and continued military support to Ukraine amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Missiles used in the MIM-104 Patriot air defence system have played a crucial role in intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles and drones targeting Gulf countries during the recent conflict involving Iran and Israel. Ukraine has also relied heavily on Patriot systems to protect its energy and military infrastructure from Russian strikes.

The Golden Dome for America—initially proposed as the “Iron Dome for America”—is a major defence initiative launched by the Trump administration on January 27, 2025. The project aims to build a comprehensive, integrated air and missile defence architecture to shield the United States from aerial threats.

The programme envisions a “system of systems” approach, combining multiple capabilities including:

• Ground-based interceptor missiles
• Advanced sensing and tracking systems
• Command and control networks
• Experimental space-based defence elements

These space-based components could help detect, track, and potentially counter incoming threats from orbit. The Golden Dome may integrate or upgrade existing U.S. missile defence systems while also introducing new technologies and capabilities.