Tamir missile for the Iron Dome Weapon System and its US variant SkyHunter will be produced there

Raytheon (RTX), in partnership with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, will build a missile manufacturing facility in Arkansas, US, to produce the Tamir missile for the Iron Dome Weapon System and its US variant, SkyHunter.

Through the established Raytheon-Rafael Area Protection Systems joint venture, the two companies have committed to a $33 million capital investment to develop the new facility. Once operational, the facility will produce missiles for the US Marine Corps and other allied partners.

The joint venture plans to break ground on the new facility before the end of the year with the intent to begin missile production in 2025.

“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-defence missile,” said Raytheon’s Tom Laliberty, president of Land & Air Defense Systems and Raytheon-Rafael Area Protection Systems chairman of the board. “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 defence epicenter.”

Raytheon and Rafael have teamed for over a decade on Iron Dome, which has more than 5,000 operational intercepts and whose success rate exceeds 90 per cent. The US version of the Iron Dome Weapon System’s Tamir, SkyHunter, is a medium-range air defence weapon designed to counter various threats, including cruise missiles, manned and unmanned aircraft, rockets, artillery and mortars. SkyHunter missiles will be produced for the US Marine Corps Medium Range Intercept Capability, or MRIC, program.