New guidance for implementing the Missile Technology Control Regime will make it moderately easier for the United States to sell UASs to allies. But more fundamental reform is still needed to adapt the nonproliferation regime to today’s strategic environment.
Missile defense modernization depends on more than hardware. Civilian weather agencies like NOAA and NASA play a quiet but critical role.
On June 12, 2025, the CSIS Missile Defense Project hosted a fireside chat with Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, on why protecting America's electromagnetic spectrum is critical to U.S. national security. The discussion examined spectrum challenges across defense, critical infrastructure, and emerging technologies that underpin our national security.
Auctioning the low-3 S-band spectrum for commercial 5G use poses serious national security risks, potentially interfering with military radar and missile defense systems. Given escalating air and missile threats, the U.S. should maintain exclusive military access to this spectrum while continuing to study long-term sharing options.
The most ambitious visions of the Golden Dome missile defense architecture face tough budgetary decisions about their prioritization within the missile defense portfolio, in the Department of Defense capability mix, and across the federal budget.
On January 27, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) entitled “The Iron Dome for America.” In an evolving and diverse threat environment, this order calls for a modernized missile defense infrastructure tailored to present-day and near-future challenges. Achieving the policy goals outlined in the EO will require significant innovation and investment, and issues of feasibility, cost, and implications for strategic stability will again be debated.
On February 11, the CSIS Defense and Security Department hosted a conversation on the implications of the "Iron Dome for America" executive order, the Pentagon’s implementation strategy, and how it fits into other deterrence and defense priorities.
New analysis identifies steps to improve the Department of Defense’s missile-tracking satellite constellation.
"Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey assumed command of Space and Missile Defense Command and the Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense from Lt. Gen. Daniel Karbler during a change of command Jan. 9 at the Von Braun III auditorium."
As the Department of Defense begins to deploy a space-based sensor constellation, Getting on Track unpacks the design tradeoffs involved and key pitfalls to avoid. Using advanced simulation tools, the authors underscore the necessity of diversifying satellite orbits, designing constellations for early, persistent coverage, and retaining requirements for fire-control-capable sensors.
