On Thursday, the Israeli Embassy in Washington reported that an event held Wednesday in East Camden, Arkansas, marked a major milestone in bilateral defense ties with the handover of the initial US-built Tamir interceptors for Israel’s Iron Dome defense network.
Production Expansion in Arkansas
The interceptors were manufactured at the new Raytheon-Rafael Protection Systems (R2S) facility in Camden. Operating as the initial American manufacturing site for the Iron Dome’s Tamir interceptors, the location was inaugurated in November 2025. 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.”
Decades of joint missile defense creation and manufacturing between Washington and Jerusalem find a fresh extension in the Camden plant. Embassy figures indicate that Tamir interceptors have been vital recently in safeguarding Israeli citizens along with roughly 250,000 US nationals residing in Israel against missile and rocket strikes. The new manufacturing capability provides an additional source of interceptors for Israel while supporting American defense requirements. Manufacturing operations at the site will additionally encompass SkyHunter—the American version of the Tamir interceptor—designated for the US Marine Corps’ Medium-Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) shield.
Ceremony Coincides with Anniversary
Highlighting the critical role protective platforms play in safeguarding both Israeli residents and US service members, the event coincided with the three-year mark of the Hamas-led incursions into southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
“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.
Having previously participated in the plant’s 2024 groundbreaking and its subsequent November 2025 debut, Sanders expressed her enthusiasm for the finalization of these inaugural domestic 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.”
Up to 60 positions are anticipated to be generated by the $63 million center, which aims to boost manufacturing output to satisfy rising defense demands across the United States, Israel, and partner nations.
