Arrow 3 closes gap: Air Force receives first parts for new missile defense

In response to the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, Germany is investing heavily in air defense. The Israeli Arrow 3 system will be able to intercept missiles at altitudes of up to 100 kilometers. The Inspector General of the Air Force personally picked up the first element in Tel Aviv.

The planned deployment of the Arrow 3 air defense system for Germany is progressing and is on schedule, according to the Air Force. During a visit to the manufacturer's IAI premises in Tel Aviv, the Inspector of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, took delivery of the first components, an Air Force spokesperson said. This is the central communications element of the weapon system.

The Air Force aims to achieve initial operational readiness of the modern missile system this year. It is intended to close a gap in the defense system. The "Arrow" can destroy incoming missiles at altitudes of up to 100 kilometers, i.e., outside the atmosphere and in the beginnings of space. This should render enemy missiles largely ineffective. This capability at the highest interception level has never existed before.

"With Arrow 3, Germany is procuring an Israeli weapon system on my initiative that will help protect Germany against air threats," Gerhartz told DPA. The first of three locations for the fire units will be the Holzdorf military airbase in eastern Germany, south of the capital. Construction work is underway there.

Air Force Chief moves to NATO

The German government intends to increase investment in air defense. Germany has also launched an initiative for a European air defense system (European Sky Shield Initiative/ESSI) – a consequence of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.

Gerhartz is scheduled to relinquish command of the Air Force in the coming weeks and then move to a top position within NATO. He will become commander of NATO headquarters in Brunssum, Netherlands ("Allied Joint Forces Command"), one of the alliance's two operational headquarters in Europe. The general, who maintains close professional contacts in the Middle East, said: "My first foreign trip as Inspector General of the Air Force was a visit to Israel in 2018, shortly after taking over, and now, after seven years, I'm coming back here for my final trip. It's a circle close."