The first Trump administration floated a space weapon concept in March 2018: a neutral particle beam in space. But it ultimately shelved the idea because of the massive amount of power needed to destroy a missile with directed energy.

An executive order said the United States faced a “catastrophic threat” from advanced aerial weapons. But a defense system like Israel’s may not be feasible in the country, which is more than 400 times larger.

The President gave us a clear mission: achieve Peace through Strength. We will do this in three ways — by restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence,” said Secretary Hegseth.