Iron Dome: First Tamir interceptor built entirely in the United States delivered to Israel

The Rafael–Raytheon joint venture has delivered to the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) the first Iron Dome Tamir interceptor built and assembled entirely in the United States, according to Defence Industry Europe. The handover took place at the venture’s factory in East Camden, Arkansas, the first facility outside Israel to produce complete Tamir interceptors.

The plant was set up by the Raytheon-Rafael Area Protection Systems (R2S) joint venture and extends a partnership that has supported Tamir production for more than a decade, under US workshare requirements for Iron Dome.

Accelerating production

“As part of IMDO’s efforts to accelerate production across all missile defense systems, this new production line represents a significant step in strengthening the shared production capabilities of Israel and the United States,” said IMDO Director Moshe Patel. He added that US funding for the joint programmes, including emergency supplemental funding, is reinvested in the US industrial base.

“Today, for the first time, Tamir is being built outside Israel, here in Camden,” said Shlomo Toaff, Rafael’s executive vice president and head of its Air and Missile Defense Division. “For the customers who depend on Tamir, that means another reliable source. For the U.S. Marine Corps, it supports SkyHunter,” he added. According to Rafael, Iron Dome has recorded more than 10,000 operational interceptions in 15 years of service.