Taiwan’s ‘T-Dome’: Why Taipei is building its own Iron Dome to counter China | Explained

President Lai said the plan would be backed by a major increase in defence spending. Taiwan will raise military expenditure to over 3 percent of its GDP next year, with a goal of reaching 5 percent by 2030. He also highlighted Taiwan’s efforts to use AI and high-tech innovation to “build a smart defence combat system, maximising effective deterrence for our asymmetric strategy.”

While the cost and timeline of the project remain undisclosed, a senior presidential official told local media that Taiwan aims to “build a more thorough air defence net with a higher interception rate.” The official added that the United States is working on a similar concept through its $175 billion “Golden Dome” missile defence system, announced earlier this year by President Donald Trump, which is expected to have the capability to shoot down missiles even in space.

Built on the Iron Dome model

Experts believe the T-Dome will draw heavily from Israel’s Iron Dome, which has proven to be one of the world’s most effective missile defence systems. The Iron Dome uses radar to detect and track incoming rockets, calculates their trajectory, and intercepts only those headed toward populated areas. Since the Israel–Hamas conflict in 2023, the system has successfully intercepted thousands of rockets fired by Hamas and Hezbollah, earning global recognition for its efficiency.

Political scientist Hung-Jen Wang from the National Cheng Kung University told the BBC that if Taiwan’s system is modelled after Israel’s, “it will require a massive budget. It won’t be easy.” Similarly, Dennis Weng of Sam Houston State University said the system will take time to materialise, likely “longer than the remainder of Lai’s term,” adding that the announcement was “clearly aimed at the US” to demonstrate Taiwan’s strategic intent.

China’s growing military pressure

Lai’s announcement comes as China intensifies its military and psychological warfare against Taiwan. Beijing claims the island as part of its territory, with President Xi Jinping declaring that “no force can stop China’s reunification with Taiwan.”

Taiwan, however, insists that its future “can only be determined by its 23 million residents,” urging Beijing to respect their democratic will. But tensions have continued to rise. In April, China conducted large-scale military drills encircling Taiwan, labelling its government “separatists” and “parasites.”

US officials have also warned that Beijing’s preparations for a military takeover could be accelerating. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently said that a Chinese attempt to seize Taiwan “could be imminent.” Similarly, Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, told the US Congress that China’s drills “are not just exercises – they are rehearsals.”

On October 9, Taiwan’s Defence Ministry reported an increase in Chinese military activity near its territory, saying that Beijing was sharpening its ability to launch a surprise attack and engaging in hybrid warfare to spread misinformation and erode public trust. “The Chinese communists have adopted routine grey zone harassment tactics, combined with joint combat readiness patrols, targeted military exercises, and cognitive warfare, posing a comprehensive threat to us,” the ministry said in its biennial defence report.

China’s reaction

Beijing reacted angrily to Lai’s remarks, accusing him of being a provocateur. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, “Lai’s speech distorted right and wrong, peddled fallacies of Taiwan independence and secession, and distorted and challenged historical facts and international consensus, once again exposing his stubborn nature as a troublemaker … and warmaker.”