Arkansas, US. Raytheon-Rafael facility in Arkansas delivers its first fully American-made Tamir interceptor to the Israel Missile Defense Organisation (IMDO), within the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) of the Israel Ministry of Defence (IMOD), as part of the cooperative US-Israel programme for the defence of Israel.
At a ceremony held at the Raytheon-Rafael Area Protection Systems (R2S) facility in East Camden, Arkansas, the first Tamir interceptor fully built and assembled on US soil was delivered to IMDO. Tamir is the interceptor of the Iron Dome air and missile defence system.
The Camden facility was built to produce Tamir interceptors for Iron Dome, which has defended Israel against a wide range of threats, including in recent regional conflicts. It is the first production site outside Israel to manufacture complete Tamir interceptors.
The facility was established by Rafael in partnership with Raytheon through their R2S joint venture, as part of a production agreement to build manufacturing capabilities in the United States. It reflects the strategic partnership between the United States and Israel in missile defence, advancing work-sharing between the two countries’ defence industries, creating numerous American jobs, and strengthening US security and the defence industrial base.
The ceremony was attended by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders; US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) Deputy Director and Acting Director for Test, Maj Gen Jason D. Cothern; IDF Military Attaché in Washington, Maj Gen Tal Politis; Consul General of Israel to the Southwest Adi Farjon; IMDO Director Moshe Patel; Rafael Executive Vice President and Head of the Air and Missile Defence Division Shlomo Toaff; R2S CEO Jonathan Casey; and additional representatives and guests from the United States and Israel.
MDA is IMDO’s partner in the cooperative US-Israel programme. IMDO, within the Ministry’s DDR&D, is responsible for the air and missile defence architecture of the Israeli Air Force and leads the development and co-production of the David’s Sling and Arrow weapon systems, and the co-production of Iron Dome, together with MDA and the defence industries in Israel and the United States.
The Tamir interceptor was developed under the leadership of IMDO, with Rafael as prime contractor. Iron Dome has recorded more than 10,000 operational interceptions over 15 years of service.
Rafael and Raytheon have cooperated on Tamir interceptor production as part of US workshare requirements for Iron Dome for more than a decade.
Moshe Patel, Director of the Israel Missile Defence Organisation (IMDO), DDR&D, Israel Ministry of Defence, stated in the ceremony, “Israel’s multi-layered missile defence array, and Iron Dome in particular, has repeatedly demonstrated in recent years its crucial role in saving lives and reducing damage from a wide range of threats. As part of IMDO’s efforts to accelerate production across all missile defence systems, this new production line represents a significant step in strengthening the shared production capabilities of Israel and the United States. US BMD funding for US-Israeli cooperative missile defence programmes, including emergency supplemental funding, is reinvested in the US industrial base, strengthening production capacity, deepening our partnership with MDA and the US Government, and enhancing both nations’ ability to protect their citizens.”
Shlomo Toaff, Rafael Executive Vice President and Head of the Air and Missile Defence Division, said, “When we started developing Iron Dome, a lot of people said it couldn’t be done. Our engineers proved them wrong. Fifteen years after its first operational interception, Iron Dome has made more than 10,000 successful interceptions, saving lives, and at the heart of it all is the Tamir interceptor. Today, for the first time, Tamir is being built outside Israel, here in Camden. We are proud to have turned this facility into a working production line. For the customers who depend on Tamir, that means another reliable source. For the US Marine Corps, it supports SkyHunter. For Rafael, this is how we want to grow in America: Israeli engineering, American production, each making the other stronger. I want to thank our partners at R2S and Raytheon, the Missile Defence Agency, and the Israel Missile Defence Organisation for their trust and support.”
