Changing of the guard at Israel’s classified rocket engine maker behind Arrow
Dotan Gabay will replace founding chief Mordechai Ben Ami at Tomer, the government rocket propulsion firm central to Israel’s missile defense and launch capabilities.
A new CEO has been appointed at the government-owned company Tomer, which produces the engines for the Arrow 3 interceptor missiles developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and used for ballistic missile defense. Calcalist has learned that the company’s board of directors, chaired by Brigadier General (res.) Roni Moreno, has selected Dotan Gabay, currently Tomer’s deputy CEO, to lead the company.
Gabay has held several senior roles at Tomer over the past decade, including Vice President of Marketing and head of the Interceptors, Missiles and Rockets Directorate. He was chosen following a recent search process and is expected to replace Mordechai Ben Ami, who has led Tomer since its establishment in 2016 and is now retiring.
In addition to producing Arrow 3 missile engines, Tomer manufactures propulsion systems for IAI’s Barak MX air defense missiles, launch systems used to deploy intelligence satellites, and precision rocket engines for Elbit Systems rockets, which are designed for ranges from tens to hundreds of kilometers.
For many years, Tomer’s rocket propulsion activity was part of the state-owned Military Industries Industries. When the company was privatized in 2018 and sold to Elbit Systems, the Ministry of Defense separated the rocket propulsion division due to its sensitive and classified nature, retaining it as an independent government company under Tomer.
Tomer employs approximately 900 people and reported sales of about NIS 550 million in 2024. At the end of 2025, the company paid its first dividend under a new framework requiring the distribution of 50% of profits, amounting to about NIS 18 million. This marked a significant milestone, as until then the Government Companies Authority had collected dividends at a reduced rate of 10%, reflecting exclusivity protections granted to the company during its first five years of operation.
Amid rising global demand for Israeli air defense systems and increased procurement by Israel’s defense establishment following the October 7 war, Tomer has significantly expanded its production capacity, added new manufacturing lines, and increased its workforce.
Gabay’s appointment still requires approval from the Committee for Senior Appointments in Government Companies, chaired by retired Judge Shulamit Dotan, followed by formal approval from Defense Minister Israel Katz and the minister responsible for government companies, David Amsalem.
