Air Defense: USMC Adopts Israeli Iron Dome

August 9, 2026: In order to fulfill the requirement for MIRC/Medium-Range Intercept Capability air defense, Marine forces operating in the Western Pacific now have Iron Dome batteries. Testing and training have been completed for the new American mobile Iron Dome system. The Marines have already tested Israel’s Iron Dome Tamir missiles as part of its mobile MRIC system. Existing Iron Dome missile launchers hold 20 Tamir missiles. Each 160mm-diameter Tamir weighs 90 kg and is 3 meters long. Tamir’s guidance system has a radar and a proximity fuze that detect the size and speed of a nearby target and detonate the warhead only if the right type…