An Israeli-developed missile is now rolling off an American production line. On October 9, Raytheon-Rafael Protection Systems, an American Israeli joint venture, announced the first Tamir interceptors manufactured in Camden, Ark. They are intended for Israel’s missile-defense system, with plans to produce a U.S. variant for the Marine Corps.
The Camden facility builds on decades of allied weapons production, including the AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile with West Germany as well as the F-16 with multiple partners. But today’s conflicts require an industrial network that produces weapons at scale, maintains deliveries during disruptions, and replenishes forces across theaters. Co-production alone does not deliver that. It changes where a weapon is built; resilience depends on whether production can continue when something breaks.
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