Germany will officially unveil and activate the Israeli Arrow 3 missile defense system this week, the first deployment of the exo‑atmospheric interceptor outside Israel, in a milestone for both German air defense and Israeli defense exports.
The Arrow 3 battery is expected to be declared initially operational at a German Air Force base, where it will be integrated into the country’s broader ground‑based air and missile defense network. The system is designed to intercept long‑range ballistic missiles at very high altitudes, outside the Earth’s atmosphere, adding an upper layer to Germany’s existing defenses.
Developed jointly by Israel and the United States, Arrow 3 has been a central element of Israel’s multi‑tiered missile shield and has seen operational use against ballistic threats in the Middle East. Its deployment on German soil is part of a multibillion‑euro procurement program agreed after Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine, as Berlin moves to modernize its armed forces and contribute more robustly to NATO’s collective defense posture.
German officials have framed the activation as both a national and European asset, with the system expected to plug into wider initiatives such as the European Sky Shield to protect against potential missile attacks. Israel, for its part, has highlighted the deployment as a vote of confidence in its high‑end defense technology and a new phase in strategic cooperation with Germany, with further deliveries and training planned over the coming years.
