The Arrow 3 ballistic missile defense system, which Germany purchased from the Aerospace Industry at a price of 3.5 billion euros, will begin to operate partially as soon as next week; This is what German media reported today, based on a press release published by the German Air Force. This is an “initial operational capability” (IOC) of parts of the system, which will be inaugurated in a ceremony to be held at the air force base in Holzdorf, near Berlin. According to reports, the German Chief of Staff and the Commander of the German Air Force will announce the start of the system’s activity on December 3 at the base. Three days later, according to the German government’s announcement, German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz will visit Israel.
Germany is the first customer of the Arrow 3 system, which Israel developed with American assistance. It purchased it in 2023 at a price of approximately three billion euros from the Aerospace Industry, with another half a billion allocated for logistical matters. The aerospace industry has been working around the clock for the past two years to allow the system to start operating with the utmost urgency, as the German side needed it.
The purchase is intended to fill a critical gap in air defense against ballistic missiles in Germany and Central Europe as a whole, and is part of a pan-European program led by Germany called SkyShield. According to the plan, the system’s radar will be used jointly by the countries that will participate in the initiative, while they will have to purchase and place interceptor positions in different places to ensure protection.
The Holzdorf base is one of three where Germany plans to deploy various Arrow systems, according to reports. In a press release, the German Air Force wrote that the system will enable “360-degree protection of Germany, which will ensure the protection of its residents and infrastructure against long-range missile attacks.”
At the same time, the Germans write, “the system will strengthen NATO’s air defense arm, even though the system is purchased independently by Germany.” According to reports, the German army has already submitted a request to Israel to also purchase the Arrow 4 system, which is still under development in Israel, and which is designed to deal with faster missiles or those with evasive capabilities.
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