R2S Lands $1.2B Contract to Produce Tamir Missiles at New Arkansas Facility

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The Raytheon-Rafael Protection Systems joint venture has secured a $1.25 billion direct commercial sales contract to supply Israel with Tamir interceptors for the Iron Dome system.

The award covers Tamir surface-to-air missiles, missile kits and test equipment, RTX said Friday. 

“This is the first production contract for the R2S joint venture and a major milestone for both Raytheon and Rafael,” said Jonathan Casey, CEO of R2S. 

How Will the R2S Contract Be Executed?

Production will take place at the new R2S facility in East Camden, Arkansas, which formally opened earlier this month after a $33 million capital investment.

The site will support the missile defense organization within Israel’s Ministry of Defense, accelerating serial output of Tamir rounds, while also producing SkyHunter, the U.S. variant used for the Marine Corps’ Medium-Range Intercept Capability program.

“The new Camden site is the first all-up-round production facility in the U.S. to manufacture Tamir and SkyHunter missiles,” Casey said.

Raytheon and Rafael have partnered for more than a decade on Iron Dome, which has demonstrated a combat intercept rate above 95 percent since its introduction in 2011.