Raytheon and RAFAEL Join Forces to Launch U.S. Iron Dome Production Hub
Raytheon and RAFAEL Join Forces to Establish Iron Dome Production in the U.S.
Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a key division of Raytheon Technologies (RTX: NYSE), has entered into a significant partnership with RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., a prominent Israeli defense technology firm. Together, they are set to establish a state-of-the-art production facility for the Iron Dome Weapon System within the United States. This collaboration, named Raytheon RAFAEL Area Protection Systems, aims to finalize a location for the facility by the year’s end.
“This facility will mark the first-ever all-up-round Iron Dome production outside of Israel, greatly benefiting the U.S. Department of Defense and global allies in safeguarding their personnel and critical infrastructure,” remarked Sam Deneke, Vice President of Land Warfare & Air Defense at Raytheon Missiles & Defense Systems.
The facility will be responsible for manufacturing the complete Iron Dome Weapon System, which includes the sophisticated Tamir interceptor and launcher, alongside the SkyHunter® missile, a U.S. variant of the Tamir. Both systems are designed to intercept various aerial threats, including cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and short-range targets like rockets and mortars.
“We are thrilled to embark on this new phase of our partnership with Raytheon and are proud to enhance our U.S. production capabilities,” said Brig. Gen. (res.) Pini Yungman, Executive Vice President for Air and Missile Defense at RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems. “Our longstanding collaboration on U.S. production of Iron Dome has paved the way for increased manufacturing, and we are excited to introduce SkyHunter to the U.S. market.”
Raytheon Missiles & Defense and RAFAEL have maintained a productive partnership for over a decade, developing the Iron Dome, which is recognized globally as the most utilized air defense system, boasting over 2,500 operational intercepts and an impressive success rate exceeding 90 percent.
