The first US-manufactured Tamir interceptors for Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system were delivered at a ceremony in East Camden, Arkansas, on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in US-Israel defense cooperation, the Israeli Embassy in Washington announced on Thursday.
The interceptors were manufactured at the new Raytheon-Rafael Protection Systems (R2S) facility in Camden, which opened in November 2025 and serves as the first US production line for Tamir interceptors used by the Iron Dome system.
Israeli Defense Attaché to the United States Maj.-Gen. Tal Politis attended the ceremony alongside Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Republican Senator Tom Cotton, representatives of Israel’s Defense Ministry and Israel Missile Defense Organization, senior American defense officials, and executives from Rafael and Raytheon.
“Iron Dome is not just a military tool or a defense system. It is a symbol of the security of our nation and our people,” Politis said. “Iron Dome keeps us safe and resilient, and the Israeli-American alliance makes us even stronger.”
The Camden facility represents another step in decades of US-Israel cooperation on missile defense development and production. According to the embassy, Tamir interceptors have played a central role in protecting Israeli civilians and approximately 250,000 Americans living in Israel from rocket and missile attacks in recent years.
The new manufacturing capability provides an additional source of interceptors for Israel while supporting American defense requirements. The facility will also produce SkyHunter, the US variant of the Tamir interceptor, for the US Marine Corps’ Medium-Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) air defense system.
The US Marine Corps has already been testing Iron Dome-based air defense technology, including the MRIC system, as part of efforts to strengthen protection against aerial threats.
Arkansas facility expands US-Israel missile defense production
The ceremony took place on the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel, underscoring the importance of defensive systems designed to protect both Israeli civilians and American military personnel.
“On the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, I also want to take a moment to remember the more than 1,000 Israelis, Americans, and citizens of other countries who were brutally attacked, kidnapped, and murdered in the worst attack against Jews since the Holocaust,” Cotton said.
“This joint venture, bringing together some of the leading companies in the United States and Israel, advances the national security and economic prosperity of both our countries,” he added.
Sanders, who attended the facility’s groundbreaking ceremony in 2024 and its opening in November 2025, welcomed the completion of the first American-made interceptors.
“I was grateful for the opportunity to break ground on this facility in 2024, to cut the ribbon last November, and, today, to celebrate the completion of the first Tamir missiles produced here in the Natural State,” Sanders said.
“The ongoing partnership between the state of Arkansas, the community of Camden, and R2S is special, and I look forward to more announcements like this in the future.”
The $63 million facility is expected to create up to 60 jobs and expand interceptor production capacity to meet growing air defense requirements in the US, Israel, and allied countries.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Raytheon join together for R2S
R2S is a joint venture between Israeli defense manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Raytheon, a subsidiary of RTX. Rafael and Israel’s Defense Ministry developed Iron Dome, while Raytheon has worked with Rafael for years on interceptor production and technology integration.
The establishment of the Arkansas manufacturing facility was announced in 2023, as part of an effort to establish additional production capabilities for Iron Dome interceptors in the United States.
Rafael has also reportedly explored expanding Iron Dome interceptor production to India, reflecting efforts to diversify manufacturing capacity beyond existing production facilities in Israel and the US.
The US-Israel defense relationship has supported the development and production of Iron Dome technology for years, with American funding and industrial cooperation contributing to the system’s expansion since it entered operational service in 2011.
The delivery of the first US-made Tamir interceptors marks a further expansion of that cooperation, providing additional production capacity for air defense systems intended to protect civilians and military personnel in both countries.
