Israel has signed a multi-billion-dollar agreement with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to accelerate production of Iron Dome interceptors amid ongoing rocket, drone, and missile threats. Under the deal, Rafael will supply a large quantity of Tamir missiles for the Israel Defense Forces. The contract follows extensive negotiations involving the Israel Missile Defense Organization, the US Missile Defense Agency, and Rafael. Funding comes partly from the $8.7-billion US aid package passed in April 2024, which allocated $5.2 billion to Israel’s air and missile defense systems, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Iron Beam. The deal coincides with increased industrial cooperation, including a $1.25-billion award to Raytheon-Rafael’s R2S joint venture to deliver Tamir interceptors and establish a $33-million production facility in Camden, Arkansas. The new US facility will accelerate interceptor manufacturing and eventually assemble SkyHunter missiles—the US Marine Corps’ variant of the Tamir.
