Oct 26 (Reuters) -

U.S. defense contractor RTX Corp and Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will build a missile manufacturing facility in East Camden, Arkansas, the companies said on Thursday.

The facility will produce Tamir missiles for the Iron Dome weapon system and its U.S. variant, SkyHunter.

The joint venture plans to break ground on the new facility before the end of the year and aims to begin missile production in 2025.

Once operational, the facility will produce missiles for the U.S. Marine Corps and other allied partners.

Raytheon and Rafael have teamed for over a decade on the Iron Dome, which has more than 5,000 operational intercepts. (Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)