The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday the historic completion of the first full manufacturing cycle of an Iron Dome interceptor on United States soil. The initial “Tami” missile, built and assembled in its entirety at an industrial facility in East Camden, Arkansas, was officially delivered to the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) within the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D /DDR&D-Maf’att) during a formal ceremony.
The newly established plant represents the first manufacturing site outside Israel dedicated to producing Tamir interceptors for the Israeli Iron Dome system. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems established the facility in strategic partnership with American defense giant Raytheon through their joint venture, Raytheon-Rafael Protection Systems (R2S).
Establishing the U.S. production line is designed to substantially broaden joint bilateral production capabilities and accelerate the interceptor delivery pipeline to Israel. The strategic initiative forms a cornerstone of ongoing defense cooperation between Jerusalem and Washington in integrated missile defense.
In addition to Tamir missiles, the East Camden facility will manufacture SkyHunter interceptors—the American-adapted variant of the Israeli system. These interceptors are designated for the Medium-Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) program of the United States Marine Corps, enabling the facility to reinforce the mutual aerial defense requirements of both armed forces.
According to data released by the Ministry of Defense, the Iron Dome system has logged more than 10,000 successful operational interceptions over its 15 years of continuous frontline deployment. The system was engineered and fielded under the leadership of IMDO within DDR&D, alongside prime contractor Rafael and in close cooperation with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA).”
“A Significant Component in Strengthening Production Capability
Head of the IMDO at the Ministry of Defense, Moshe Patel, emphasized that the new manufacturing line is a vital element in replenishing and expanding national interceptor inventories: Israel’s multi-layered missile defense array, and specifically the Iron Dome system, has repeatedly saved countless lives and mitigated infrastructure damage across a wide spectrum of hostile threats in recent years.”
Patel added:””The n w assembly facility in the United States represents a major pillar in reinforcing our joint U.S.-Israel industrial capacity, reflecting the Ministry ofDefense’ss overarching strategy to accelerate production rates across all active missile defense echelons””
Pate. added that U.S. security assistance to Israel, much of which is reinvested directly into American manufacturing, strengthens both nations’ industrial base while deepening strategic integration with the U.S. Administration and the Missile Defense Agency.
Executive Vice President and Head of the Air & Missile Defense Division at Rafael, Shlomo Toaff, addressed the gathering:””When afael first initiated development of the Iron Dome, many skeptics believed it was an impossible feat. Our engineers proved them wrong. For 15 years, the Iron Dome has maintained operational readiness, saving lives and ensuring daily continuity even amid intense wartime conditions,” Toaf noted. The Tir interceptor is the beating heart of this system, and today, for the very first time, it is fully manufactured outside Israel’s borders, right here in Camden, Arkansas.”
The formal rollout ceremony was attended by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, IDF Defense Attaché to Washington Major General Tal Politis, and senior executive delegations representing the Israel Ministry of Defense, Rafael, Raytheon, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.