U.S. Iron Dome Interceptor Production Site Opens as Israel Places Major New Order
Israeli firm Rafael has officially opened a new U.S. factory to produce Iron Dome interceptors, an announcement that came hours after Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced a “multi-billion dollar contract” to the firm for new munitions.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement Thursday that its Director General Maj. Gen. Amir Baram had “signed a procurement order that will accelerate the production of the Iron Dome defense system.” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz added the “signing of this landmark contract represents a strategic leap forward that will significantly reinforce our air defense capabilities against adversaries who remain relentless in their efforts to threaten Israel’s security.”
The Iron Dome money comes as a result of a $8.7 billion aid package passed by the US Congress in April 2024, which included $5.2 billion for air defense assets. The signing ceremony for the new buy took place in Tel Aviv at the ministry’s headquarters with US Defense Attaché Maj. Gen. Aaron Drake along with key Israeli defense officials in attendance.
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The Iron Dome air defense system is one the lower layer of Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems, with David’s Sling and Arrow as the middle and upper tier respectively. All the systems played a key role in Israel’s last two years of multi-front war which saw thousands of rockets and drones launched at Israel. The Iron Dome has also been systematically upgraded to deal with emerging threats.
At a Thursday briefing at JINSA on Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran, retired U.S. General Charles Wald, noted that “the Iron Dome, fortunately, was upgraded just prior to the attacks by Iran to be able to take on larger missiles.” As such, the system is even more relevant in is role, defending against short and medium range rockets and drones.
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Read the full article in Breaking Defense.