Tel Aviv: The German Arrow 3 system purchased from Israel is operational. Germany’s first long-range missile shield entered service in an initial configuration on December 3, based roughly 40 miles south of the capital Berlin, as per media report.
Germany plans to acquire more systems. Germany signed the roughly US $ 3.5–3.6 billion Arrow 3 contract in 2023. Israeli sources report that the Arrow 3 system is being officially deployed on German soil, making Germany the first operator of Arrow outside Israel.
Earlier planning documents and industry statements indicated initial deployment and operational capability in 2025, with the first battery delivered by late 2025 and additional batteries thereafter.
Germany plans to purchase additional Israeli made Arrow systems. Initial negotiations with Israel about a possible larger Arrow 3 acquisition programme are underway. Israeli sources said that the German plan to enlarge the deal makes sense as ”Russia has become an imminent threat and more advanced air defence looks the right thing”.
In September 2023, the Ministries of Defence of Israel and Germany signed an agreement for the delivery of the “Arrow-3” system to Germany – an agreement that amounts to US $ 3.5 billion.
In the recent war, Arrow 3 has successfully intercepted Iranian made ballistic and cruise missiles launched from Iran and Yemen, the stronghold of the Houthis rebels, an Iranian proxy.
During this operation, changes and upgrades have been introduced. According to an Israeli senior source, the upgrades are in the software of the system but also in the way it is operated in “saturation scenarios”.
In most cases the Iranian made missiles have been intercepted before they reached the Israeli airspace. Last year, Israel Aerospace Industries initiated the development of the Arrow 4. This new version is aimed at dealing with new threats posed mainly by the Iranian long range ballistic missiles.
According to the Israeli MOD, the Arrow 4 will be an advanced, innovative interceptor with enhanced capabilities. It will address a wide range of evolving threats in the region and will replace the Arrow 2 interceptors over the next decades.
The Israeli Arrow 3 ballistic missiles interceptor that were supplied to Germany include software upgrades and other changes reflecting the massive use in the system in the war that broke out on October 7, 2023. In this war the Israeli air defence system has successfully intercepted ballistic missiles launched by Iran and its proxy in Yemen.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
