Historic: First Iron Dome Interceptor Fully Produced in US

The Camden facility is the first production site outside Israel to manufacture Tamir interceptors for the Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system.

By United with Israel Staff

For the first time, an Iron Dome interceptor has been fully manufactured and assembled on American soil, marking a major milestone in US-Israel missile defense cooperation.

Israel’s Defense Ministry received the first US-made Tamir interceptor at a ceremony at the Raytheon-Rafael Protection Systems, or R2S, facility in East Camden, Arkansas.

The Camden facility is the first production site outside Israel to manufacture Tamir interceptors for the Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system. It was established by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems together with US defense company Raytheon through their R2S joint venture.

The establishment of production capabilities in the United States is part of the longstanding strategic partnership between Israel and the US in missile defense and is intended to significantly expand the two countries’ joint production capacity.

In addition to producing Tamir interceptors for Israel, the Arkansas facility will manufacture SkyHunter, the American version of the Tamir interceptor, for the US Marine Corps’ Medium Range Intercept Capability, or MRIC, system.

Israeli officials said the new facility will help meet the air defense needs of both countries while strengthening their shared industrial base and ability to rapidly produce interceptors during periods of heightened demand.

Iron Dome has recorded more than 10,000 successful operational interceptions during its 15 years of service, according to Israel’s Defense Ministry.

The system was developed under the leadership of the Defense Ministry’s Israel Missile Defense Organization, together with Rafael, its primary developer. The US Missile Defense Agency is a key partner in Israel’s missile defense program.

Israel’s multilayered air defense network also includes David’s Sling and the Arrow systems, developed and produced through cooperation involving the Israeli Defense Ministry, the MDA and defense industries in Israel and the United States.

Rafael and Raytheon have cooperated on US production of missile interceptors for more than a decade.

“The new production line in the US constitutes a significant component in strengthening the joint production capabilities of Israel and the United States, as part of the Defense Ministry’s strategy to accelerate the production rate of interceptors across all defense systems,” said Moshe Patel, head of the Israel Missile Defense Organization.

Patel noted that US military assistance to Israel is partly reinvested in American industry, strengthening the production base of both countries.

“The American assistance to Israel, part of which is invested back into American industry, strengthens the joint production base of both countries, deepens the partnership with the MDA and the US government, and enhances the ability of Israel and the US to protect the lives of their citizens,” he said.

Rafael Air Defense Systems Division Executive Vice President Shlomo Toaff recalled the skepticism that surrounded Iron Dome during its early development.

“When we at Rafael began developing Iron Dome, many people did not believe it was possible,” Toaff said. “Our engineers proved them wrong.”

“For 15 years, Iron Dome has been operational, saving lives and enabling daily life to continue even during wartime,” he continued. “The heart of the system is the Tamir interceptor, and today, for the first time, it is being manufactured outside Israel’s borders, here in Camden, Arkansas.”

The ceremony was attended by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, US Sen. Tom Cotton, Israeli Consul General Adi Farjon Israel, senior US and Israeli military officials and representatives from Rafael, R2S and the Israeli Defense Ministry.