What Are Tamir Interceptors? US Sends Israel Missiles and Artillery Shells

President Joe Biden's administration is sending a host of weapons and military equipment to Israel amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Over 1,400 people have been killed in Israel since the surprise attack by Islamist militant group Hamas on October 7, according to Israeli officials. The Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, said that over 6,500 people had been killed in the Gaza Strip as of Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

While Biden later also stressed the need for humanitarian aid to Gaza, the president almost immediately announced that the U.S. would "stand with Israel" during the conflict and pledged to send the country a trove of military equipment and weapons, including U.S.-made Tamir interceptor missiles, a key component of Israel's "Iron Dome" defense system.

"We're surging additional military assistance, including ammunition, and interceptors to replenish Iron Dome," Biden said following discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 10. "We're going to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens."

Tamir missiles were among the first items to be sent to Israel following the October 7 attack. They are manufactured by U.S.-based RTX, formerly known as Raytheon, in partnership with Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Nearly identical weapons built for the U.S. military are known as SkyHunter missiles.

The missiles are used as part of the mobile Iron Dome system to intercept and destroy incoming air attacks detected via radar. Each Tamir interceptor costs approximately $40,000, according to Foreign Policy. Iron Dome has a success rate of around 90 percent.

U.S. aid to support the Iron Dome system also includes Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits, which are used to retrofit navigation systems on "dumb bombs" and turn them into precision-guided weapons, or "smart bombs."

Additionally, the first shipment of weapons included about 1,000 small-diameter smart bombs. The bombs weigh approximately 250 pounds apiece and are guided by a GPS navigation system, according to The New York Times.

Last week, reports emerged that the U.S. would be sending Israel tens of thousands of artillery shells that had been destined for Ukraine. Department of Defense officials said that the 155mm shells were originally part of a stockpile meant for Israel but were moved to Europe prior to the Middle East conflict.

The exact amount of all weapons sent to Israel this month is unclear. Part of the effort to aid Israel includes expediting shipments of weapons and equipment that the country has already purchased from the U.S.

Newsweek reached out for comment to the Department of Defense via email on Thursday night.

The U.S. has also sent Navy warships and aircraft carriers to the region, along with thousands of troops and Air Force fighter jets. The buildup is intended to assist Israel with planning and intelligence operations, rather that directly intervene in the conflict.

Biden asked Congress for $100 billion in additional funding to aid Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and security along the U.S.-Mexico border last week. While some have spoken against bundling the aid, most of Congress appears to be in favor of sending more aid to Israel.

However, a minority of Republicans who strongly oppose further assistance to Ukraine could complicate the task of passing the funding package through the House of Representatives. New House Speaker Mike Johnson has yet to indicate his stance.

In addition to the Biden administration, the office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican 2024 presidential election candidate, announced this week that the Sunshine State would be sending items including drones, body armor, helmets and unspecified weapons and ammunition to Israel.

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