The Marine Corps’ interest in domestic production of Tamir interceptor missiles, a component of the service’s Medium Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) prototype, has now included a lead program official meeting with RTX [RTX] and Israel’s Rafael about a potential manufacturing site in Camden, Arkansas.
“This will be a great thing for the Medium Range Intercept Capability program and for the [Marine Corps], if this occurs,” Don Kelley, the Marine Corps’ Program Executive Officer Land Systems’ program manager for ground-based air defense, said in a statement.
The Marine Corps said RTX and Rafael “detailed the concept of the production facility and provided a tour of the potential site” for U.S.-based production of Tamir missiles, and the Americanized version of the weapon called SkyHunter, during the July 19 meeting with Kelley.
The MRIC prototype involves integrating the Marine Corps’ Northrop Grumman [NOC]-built Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) and General Dynamics Missions Systems [GD]-developed Common Aviation Command and Control System (CA2CS) with components of Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system, to include mini-Battle Management Control components and Tamir interceptor missiles.
In late June, Kelly said the Marine Corps is aiming to buy three batteries worth of MRIC capability after conducting a Quick Reaction Assessment in September 2024, with a goal to begin fielding the system in 2026 (Defense Daily, June 28).
“MRIC, what an amazing program this is,” Kelley said at the time during remarks at the Modern Day Marine conference in Washington, D.C. “Given everything goes well, which I totally anticipate it will, we will then go and request permission to go through a [Middle Tier Acquisition authority] for rapid fielding.”
The Marine Corps has conducted several successful live fire tests with a prototype to date, which Kelly has previously said “proved that the performance of the MRIC system with Iron Dome interceptors is good and provides a dedicated launcher solution for the Marines” (Defense Daily, Oct. 31 2022).
During his remarks at the Modern Day Marine conference, Kelley acknowledged the Marine Corps was in discussions with RTX and Rafael on building Tamir missiles for MRIC in the U.S. and said he expected an announcement within the next six months on where that could be located.
“The production of the Tamir/Sky Hunter within the United States not only will provide American-built Sky Hunters, but a possible second source of Tamir missiles for the Israeli Missile Defense Organization,” the Marine Corps said in a statement following the meeting to discuss the potential Camden, Arkansas site.