Israel has inked a multi-billion-dollar procurement contract with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to ramp up Iron Dome interceptor production, enhancing readiness as rocket, drone, and missile threats continue across multiple fronts.
Rafael will provide the Israel Defense Forces with a large supply of Tamir missiles under the deal, reached after months of discussions involving the Israel Missile Defense Organization, the US Missile Defense Agency, and Rafael.
The program is financed through the $8.7-billion US aid bill passed in April 2024, which designated $5.2 billion for Israel’s air and missile defense programs such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the high-energy laser Iron Beam.
The announcement builds on growing US-Israel defense industrial ties, including a recent $1.25-billion award to the Raytheon-Rafael R2S partnership to produce Tamir interceptors and develop a $33-million manufacturing line in Camden, Arkansas. The site will accelerate production and later assemble SkyHunter missiles, the US Marine Corps’ version of the Tamir.
