US Marine Corps moves forward with purchase of Israel’s Iron Dome

JERUSALEM POST STAFF

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As part of the deal, the Marine Corps will purchase 44 Iron Dome launchers and 1,840 Tamir interceptors.
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The Iron Dome air defense missile systems is seen during operational trials conducted following the conclusion Operation Shield and Arrow on May 14, 2023 / (photo credit: DEFENSE MINISTRY)

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) plans to purchase dozens of Iron Dome launchers and thousands of interceptor missiles in a deal that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the War Zone reported on Saturday citing a procurement notice of intent publicly available online.

The deal, which would see the USMC purchase some three batteries’ worth of the Iron Dome system, would be conducted with Raytheon, which has a deal with Israeli manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to distribute the system to the United States.

The prime contractor for the development and production of the Iron Dome is Rafael, who adapted the system to USMC requirements and assisted with testing support.

As part of the deal, the USMC will purchase 44 launchers and 1,840 Tamir interceptors.

View of Iron Dome Missile Defense battery deployed near the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, August 5, 2022. (credit: TOMER NEUBERG/FLASH90)

Marine Corps’ Iron Dome deal has been in the works

Last year, the Jerusalem Post reported that completed a series of interception tests on an air defense system using Israel’s Tamir Interceptor.

The experiment included a series of three tests carried out over the course of several months. The system successfully intercepted a variety of targets. 

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