Stark & Israeli missile canisters

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. - Stark Aerospace takes a different approach to manufacturing. The plant that specializes in drone technology will now be assisting the Israeli government in its Arrow 3 missile defense system. Stark’s Starkville plant will be producing canisters to hold the missiles, which are designed to protect Israel from long-range ballistic missiles. Stark is one of only a few plants to have this kind of an agreement with Israel. Mississippi leaders say that the in-state manufacturing for Israeli products can only go up. Arrow 3 needs a canister to be able to deploy the missile, and that’s what Mississippi is manufacturing, says Gov. Phil Bryant. “Seventy percent of the materials used in the manufacturing of the canister comes from Mississippi, so you’re looking at Mississippi steel, a lot of Mississippi technology that goes into this.” Some Israeli officials were in attendance to see the delivery of the first canister out of production. (Source: WCBI 08/27/18) Stark Aerospace is a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel’s largest industrial exporter. Stark has two facilities in Mississippi: At Starkville, the company manufactures the Hunter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV); and its North American HQ in Columbus.