JERUSALEM — The Israeli Ministry of Defense and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems delivered the first batch of Tamir interceptors to the United States Marine Corps, a major step forward for the Marine’s Medium Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) program.
The delivery, announced Thursday, was made by the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) and Rafael, a statement from the company noted. The announcement was tied to the Modern Day Marine event which took place in Washington this week.
“This initial delivery supports the force-build-up of the first operational MRIC platoon, marking an important milestone in the establishment of a new, mobile air defense capability designed to protect Marine Corps forces against a wide range of aerial threats in expeditionary and maneuver warfare environments,” the company noted.
The Tamir is the interceptor used in Israel’s famed Iron Dome system, and this week’s delivery represents the first supply of interceptors in a multi-year program. It comes in the context of deeper partnerships between Israel and the US on air defense, and between Rafael and Raytheon. For US purposes, Raytheon calls the Tamir interceptor the Sky Hunter, and calls the David’s Sling Stunner interceptor the SkyCeptor.
The Marine’s MRIC program “integrates the combat-proven Iron Dome system and its Tamir interceptor within a mobile air and missile defense architecture, tailored to meet the U.S. Marine Corps’ operational requirements for forward-deployed forces,” Rafael noted in its April 30 statement. “The system is intended to provide effective defense against cruise missiles, UAS, and other aerial threats as part of a layered and flexible air defense concept.”
The mobile system centers around Israel’s famed Iron Dome and uses a truck-mounted Iron Dome launcher with Tamir interceptors, teamed up with a Common Aviation Command-and-Control System (CAC2S) and a mini battle management control (BMC) system, along with the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR). (In 2021, Israel delivered two Iron Dome batteries to the US Army, but those systems quickly became a political hot potato inside the military.)
This week’s delivery follows assessments and evaluations of the systems by the Marines. Back in 2022 a series of live-fire tests were conducted as part of three trials of the system, including an October 2022 test which saw the continuous launch of interceptors from a mobile launcher developed by the Marines, Israel’s Ministry of Defense noted at the time. The tests were carried out by the Marines at White Sands test range. In October 2024 the Marines conducted their first live-fire training with the interceptor integrated into their system.
The Iron Dome interceptor has been upgraded over the years to intercept a wide range of targets, including cruise missiles and drones, as well as rockets and artillery. In 2023 Raytheon and Rafael chose a site in Arkansas to produce the interceptors. The R2S joint venture facility opened in 2025.
Rafael said on April 30 that the “Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) and Rafael continue to work closely with the US partners to support the successful deployment and operational readiness of MRIC, contributing Israel vast experience in air and missile defense systems.”
