Raytheon and Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems have signed an agreement to establish a Tamir missile manufacturing facility in the US.
The Tamir interceptor missile is designed to neutralize short-range artillery and projectiles.
It was developed exclusively as a warhead for the Israeli Defence Forces’ Iron Dome aerial defense weapon system and its SkyHunter US variant.
The Israeli air defense capability has over 5,000 operational intercepts and a greater than 90 percent success rate to date.
Meanwhile, its SkyHunter medium-range counterpart can destroy a range of aerial threats, such as cruise missiles, manned and unmanned aircraft, and other projectiles.
Arkansas Production Site
Valued at $33 million, the investment will see the construction of the missile production hub in East Camden, Arkansas.
Raytheon and Rafael’s Area Protection Systems joint venture will manage work at the site.
Once complete, the factory will offer missile production services for the US Marine Corps and partner forces.
“This new Camden site will be the first all-up-round production facility in the US to help support the Armed Forces and allies across the globe with this highly capable air-defense missile,” Raytheon Land & Air Defense Systems President Tom Laliberty stated.
“This new facility will allow us to expand our presence in Camden and further benefit from the resident talent and expertise of this aerospace and defense epicenter.”
Iron Dome Variant for US Marines
A future SkyHunter platform will be developed to support the US Marine Corps Medium Range Intercept Capability program.
The service has already begun procuring batteries and missiles for the system, while associated fielding will commence in 2025.
