T-Dome is intended to sit atop Taiwan’s existing missile and radar network and to improve how different systems work together.
Taiwan has put a new “Taiwan Dome” missile shield at the center of a dramatic military buildup, unveiling plans for a multi-layered air and missile defense system that President Lai Ching-te says is directly inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome and the United States’ planned “Golden Dome” project.
On Wednesday, Lai announced that his government will submit a special defense budget of around 40 billion dollars (1.25 trillion Taiwan dollars) spread over eight years, from 2026 to 2033, to help fund the so-called Taiwan Dome, drones, missiles and other advanced systems, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency and reports in Reuters and Channel News Asia.
T-dome over the island
The T-Dome, short for Taiwan Dome, was first unveiled in Lai’s National Day address in Taipei on October 10. In an official English transcript released by the Presidential Office, Lai pledged to “accelerate our building of the T-Dome” and to establish a rigorous air defense system “with multi-layered defense, high-level detection, and effective interception” in order to “weave a safety net for Taiwan.”
Local outlet Focus Taiwan, citing military experts, reported that T-Dome is intended to sit atop Taiwan’s existing missile and radar network and to improve how different systems work together, from high-altitude interceptors to anti-drone units. The goal is to better protect the island against a mix of Chinese drones, rockets, cruise missiles, and aircraft.
Taiwan already fields US-made Patriot batteries and its Sky Bow (Tien Kung) surface-to-air missiles. Defense Minister Wellington Koo told reporters in October that T-Dome is designed to create a more integrated “sensor-to-shooter” chain between these systems and new interceptors, boosting the “kill rate” against incoming threats and allowing commanders to allocate missiles more efficiently. Reuters reported that the concept mirrors US efforts to link sensors and shooters across land, air, sea, and space.
Lai says Israel is the model
For Israeli readers, the most striking element is how openly Taiwan’s leadership is drawing on Israel’s experience.
At a dinner in Taipei with a delegation of major donors from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in late October, Lai said explicitly that T-Dome is “inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome and the US Golden Dome,” according to a readout published by the Presidential Office and coverage in Taiwan News and Jewish Insider.
Lai has also repeatedly cited Israel as a role model. Reuters and other outlets reported that he told the AIPAC delegation that he views Israel’s layered missile defenses as a template for how a small democracy can survive under the shadow of a much larger authoritarian neighbor.
In that same speech, Lai compared Taiwan’s situation to the biblical story of David and Goliath, describing Israel as an example of resilience and military preparedness. South African outlet News24 quoted him as saying that Israel embodies “the spirit of David against Goliath” and that trilateral cooperation among Taiwan, the US, and Israel can help maintain peace and stability.
Massive new spending
The Taiwan Dome is tied to a rapid increase in overall defense spending.
Taiwan’s 2026 defense budget is expected to reach about 3.32% of GDP, or nearly 950 billion Taiwan dollars, the first time since 2009 that the figure will pass 3%, according to CNA reports cited by Reuters. The Financial Times and regional think tanks have echoed Lai’s target of 5% of GDP by 2030.
The new 40 billion dollar special budget will sit on top of that regular spending. Taiwan’s defense minister said on Wednesday that the extra funds would be used to acquire missiles and drones, accelerate work on T-Dome equipment, and support other precision-strike capabilities, Reuters said.
Lai’s government is presenting this as part of an “asymmetric” strategy that aims to make Taiwan’s smaller forces more agile and lethal, a concept that US officials have long urged Taipei to adopt.
Beijing hits back
Beijing has reacted angrily to the T-Dome plan and the broader spending surge.
On the day of Lai’s Double Tenth speech, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office and Foreign Ministry accused him of pushing “Taiwan independence” and labeled him a “troublemaker,” according to a detailed report in the South China Morning Post. Chinese officials warned that attempts to “pursue independence through force” and resist reunification would “drag Taiwan into a dangerous situation of war.”
Chinese state media and policy journals have also framed T-Dome as part of a US-led containment strategy and warned that missile defenses in Taiwan could trigger an arms race in which China invests more heavily in hypersonic glide vehicles, electronic warfare and anti-radiation missiles, according to an analysis in The Diplomat.
Taiwanese officials counter that the system is purely defensive. Lai has repeatedly said that “peace through strength” is the only realistic path, telling citizens that “surrender is the greatest internal threat,” according to Reuters and local coverage.
Why Israel is watching
Israel and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic relations, and Jerusalem officially adheres to the “one China” policy. However, Lai’s references to Iron Dome and his outreach to AIPAC donors highlight how closely Taipei is studying Israel’s experience in layered missile defense and strategic deterrence.
For Israel, the emergence of T-Dome underscores how its defense technologies and concepts are shaping security thinking far beyond the Middle East. For Taiwan, looking at Iron Dome is about more than hardware. It is about learning how a small, threatened democracy can convince a much larger adversary that the cost of aggression would be intolerable.
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