In what marks an important development for Germany’s air-defense network, it has been reported that the country is preparing to deploy its new Arrow-3 anti-ballistic missile systems—acquired from Israel—for the first time at the end of this week, also marking the platform’s debut in Europe. These systems were purchased in 2023 under a major agreement that required a 3.5-billion-dollar investment from Berlin and approval from the United States.
According to reports from Israeli media, the deployment of the new Arrow-3 systems would be linked, among other factors, to the normalization of defense relations between the Israeli government and its German counterpart, taking into account the temporary restrictions that Germany had imposed on Israel for the purchase of armaments. Now that a ceasefire has been reached in the Gaza Strip—where concerns had been mounting over the deteriorating humanitarian situation—the administration led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz has finally lifted those measures, thus enabling the deployment process for the mentioned systems to move forward.
This is no minor issue, considering that Germany is one of the main destinations for Israel’s arms exports, second only to the United States. It is useful to recall that, according to data published by SIPRI, during the 2020–2024 period Berlin accounted for 33% of Israel’s total arms sales.
Furthermore, it is important to highlight that this news emerges at a moment when the German government is negotiating the possibility of increasing the number of Arrow-3 systems previously acquired, in order to reinforce its air defense. German authorities argue that the current quantity would be insufficient to confront a potential future attack from Russia—a fear shared by many European allies. Additionally, a key motivation behind this effort is the desire to field enough air-defense systems not only to protect German territory, but also to support nearby countries that may require such assistance.
From a technical standpoint, the Arrow-3 is capable of fulfilling this role, as it is a long-range system able to intercept enemy missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere—thus reducing the danger posed by debris dispersion after interception. As such, it is considered a perfect complement to the IRIS-T and Patriot systems, which, when operating together in a layered scheme, provide short- and medium-range coverage respectively. This combination helps solidify Berlin’s Sky Shield plan.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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