The German military has officially commissioned the first part of the sophisticated Arrow 3 ballistic missile defence system, marking a major step toward bolstering Europe’s defense against Russian threats.
The Israeli Arrow 3, built in collaboration with the United States, forms a key pillar of the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), launched in response to Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and growing concerns over vulnerabilities in NATO’s continental air defences.
“For the first time, we are gaining the capability for early warning and defence against long-range ballistic missiles for our population and infrastructure,” said Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.
“We are strengthening the European pillar of NATO and fulfilling a NATO planning objective,” he added. “We are demonstrating that Germany is taking responsibility.”
The 2023 agreement to acquire Arrow 3 remains Israel’s largest-ever defence export deal. Capable of intercepting ballistic missiles in exo-atmospheric flight, the system includes advanced radar detection, launchers, and interceptors that can engage targets at altitudes of up to 100 kilometres.
An Israeli delegation joined German officials at the Holzdorf-Schönewalde air base in eastern Germany for the commissioning ceremony, which Germany’s defence ministry hailed as “a clear signal of the close ties and partnership between Israel and Germany”.
This marks the first deployment of an Arrow system outside Israel. Additional batteries are planned for two more sites, with full operational capability expected by 2030.
In September 2023, Israeli and German officials signed a US$3.5 billion deal for the Arrow-3 AD system. While describing the Arrow as “one of the best systems, if not the best,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, “It is, without exaggerating, a historic day for both our countries.”
The Arrow-3 is expected to complement Germany’s existing IRIS-T and Patriot systems, providing high-altitude, exo-atmospheric interception capability.
Instead of an explosive warhead, the system uses a two-stage interceptor with a hit-to-kill warhead via a high-explosive kinetic kill vehicle (KV) equipped with advanced electro-optical sensors and gimbaled seekers for precise targeting.
The Arrow-3 missile strikes close to the target and destroys it with a torrent of hot metal shards. This method removes the need for a warhead but necessitates more accuracy in tracking the target and guiding the missile.
The Arrow-3 features mobile, truck-mounted launchers with vertical-launch canisters, making the system designed for mobility and survivability.
Israel states that it has been designed to operate in contested environments, with robust electronic countermeasures against jamming. It can also easily identify real targets from decoys, with the help of its advanced sensors.
The Arrow 3 system made its combat debut in November 2023, successfully intercepting a Houthi-launched Ghadr-110 medium-range ballistic missile fired from Yemen toward Israel.
In April 2024, it played a pivotal role in thwarting a massive Iranian barrage, helping neutralize hundreds of missiles and drones and earning widespread praise for its performance.
During that April operation, Israeli officials reported an astonishing interception success rate of 99% across the multi-layered defence network, with Arrow 3 handling the most challenging exo-atmospheric threats.
However, the system’s limitations were exposed in October 2024 when Iran fired around 180 ballistic missiles in retaliation for Israeli strikes. Although the Israel Defense Ministry insisted Arrow 3 and the overall defense architecture “proved effective,” several missiles penetrated the defense shield, striking targets and highlighting the challenges of countering large-scale, saturated attacks.
Via AFP & ET Online Desk
