Defense Ministry receives first Tamir interceptor of Iron Dome built entirely in US

The Air Defense Administration in the Defense Ministry received the first Tamir interceptor of the Iron Dome system built and assembled entirely in the United States, at the joint venture plant of Rafael and Raytheon in the city of East Camden in the state of Arkansas.

Production takes place at the R2S joint venture plant, Raytheon-Rafael Protection Systems, which is the first manufacturing site for Tamir interceptors located outside the borders of Israel. According to reports, the plant expands the joint manufacturing infrastructure for both countries and is intended to support the air defense needs of both. The partnership between Rafael and Raytheon in producing interceptors in the United States has been ongoing for more than a decade.

Air Defense Administration head Moshe Petal noted at the ceremony that U.S. military aid to Israel is partly reinvested back into American industry. According to reports, this model strengthens the joint production base and deepens the partnership with the MDA and the American government. Senior Vice President and head of the air defense division at Rafael, Shlomo Tuaf, emphasized the historical developments from the skepticism that accompanied the beginning of Iron Dome development to the establishment of the production line in Arkansas.

Alongside the Tamir interceptors to be supplied for the defense of the state of Israel, the plant also produces the SkyHunter interceptor, the American version of the Tamir intended for the MRIC system of the U.S. Marine Corps. The Iron Dome system recorded more than 10,000 successful intercepts during its 15 years of operation.

The Defense Ministry said that given the operational need and growing threats, the Air Defense Administration is leading a strategy to accelerate the rate of interceptor production for all multilayered air defense systems, including Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow.