First US-made Iron Dome interceptors delivered at Arkansas facility in major defense milestone – The Jerusalem Post

First US-made Iron Dome interceptors delivered at Arkansas facility in major defense milestone  The Jerusalem Post

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