In a landmark achievement for U.S.-Israel defense collaboration, the U.S. Marines have successfully completed their inaugural live-fire training exercise with an advanced air defense system incorporating the Iron Dome (Tamir) interceptor. This prototype system integrates an American radar and command-and-control center with the Iron Dome interceptor and a newly developed mobile launcher by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, in partnership with Raytheon as the prime contractor.
The training session featured a successful interception of various airborne targets, proving the system’s continuous launch capability from the mobile launcher tailored for Marine Corps operations. This exercise follows an extensive training program and testing phase as part of the Marine Corps’ initiative to assess medium-range intercept capabilities (MRIC) in defense scenarios.
Moshe Patel, Director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), emphasized Iron Dome’s record of thousands of successful intercepts over more than a decade, even recently in the “Swords of Iron” war. Patel noted that the recent live-fire exercise demonstrated the Iron Dome’s adaptability to integrate with various air defense systems and effectively intercept diverse aerial threats in complex situations.
Shlomo Toaff, Senior VP at Rafael, highlighted the partnership with Raytheon and the U.S. Marine Corps, affirming Rafael’s commitment to delivering precise, effective defense solutions. The successful live-fire exercise, he said, represents a vital milestone toward operational deployment of the Iron Dome-equipped prototype for the Marines and strengthens joint efforts to expand air defense capabilities in coordination with international defense partners.
The Iron Dome, integral to Israel’s multi-layered defense system, offers a versatile defense mechanism capable of intercepting cruise missiles, UAVs, and various rockets. The system is one of four operational defense layers developed by the Israel Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), alongside David’s Sling and the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 weapon systems.–News Desk