On Wednesday, the German Bundestag and Budget Committee approved advance payments of up to 560 million euros, the first stage in acquiring Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Arrow-3 missile defence system.
The agreement required U.S. approval because it was developed using federal funds. President Joe Biden approved this authority in March of this year. However, no official notification has been made as of yet.
Germany is anticipated to pay around $4.3 billion for this system, an exo-atmospheric interceptor built by Israel Aerospace Industries. According to Reuters, Germany hopes to reach an agreement and get the systems by the end of 2025.
Payment will be made through a special 100-billion-euro fund established by German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz in the aftermath of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Arrow-3 will be a part of Germany’s European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI).
This interceptor is meant to intercept and destroy the most recent, longer-range threats, particularly those armed with weapons of mass devastation. It is the top-tier defence system in Israel’s multi-layer defence array.
The Arrow 3 interceptor is part of the Arrow Weapon System (AWS), which is the nation’s first operational, stand-alone Anti Tactical Ballistic Missile (ATBM) defence system that detects, tracks, intercepts, and destroys incoming threats carrying a variety of warheads. It has a range of 2,400 km and can reach a height of 100 km.
Iron Dome, which intercepts short-range, surface-to-surface rockets, is the bottom layer; David’s Sling, which intercepts short-to-medium and medium-to-long-range, surface-to-surface missiles, is the middle layer; and the Arrow 2, which intercepts medium-to-long-range missiles, is the upper layer, along with the Arrow 3.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, the Israel Ministry of Defence, and the IAI issued a joint statement that appreciated Germany’s ratification of the commitment to begin the acquisition process.
