US Delivers First American-Made Iron Dome Interceptor to Israel

The R2S plant is a joint venture between Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the American defense contractor Raytheon. The establishment of this production line is part of a strategic defense cooperation between Israel and the United States, designed to expand their shared manufacturing base and accelerate the supply of interceptors. This local manufacturing also allows American security assistance funds to finance the procurement, returning a portion of the aid to the U.S. economy.

In addition to producing Tamir missiles for Israel's Iron Dome, the Arkansas facility will manufacture the SkyHunter, the American version of the missile, for the U.S. Marine Corps' MRIC air defense system. The joint venture has secured a contract worth approximately $1.25 billion for interceptors, missile kits, and testing equipment, with the Marine Corps ordering about 2,000 SkyHunter interceptors. The increased production rate is also intended to support potential exports of the interceptors to other nations, including NATO members. According to Walla, Rafael is also scheduled to begin producing Iron Dome components in Germany next year.

The ceremony in Arkansas was attended by state and federal officials, including Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, Israeli Consul General Adi Farjon, and Moshe Patel, the head of the Arrow Division in Israel's Ministry of Defense. Over its 15 years of operational service, the Iron Dome system has recorded more than 10,000 successful interceptions.