The staggering $3.5 billion deal for the Arrow 3 is the largest defense deal in Israel’s history.
Israel and Germany are in the final stages of their Arrow 3 air defense system agreement. In the upcoming months, Berlin is expected to receive the cutting-edge Israeli-designed hypersonic anti-ballistic missile apparatus. According to officials in both countries, a “high-level coordination meeting” took place in Germany this week, which included the head of the Arrow 3 Program for Germany, Col. Carsten Koepper, and the chief of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization, Moshe Patel. In addition to Israel Aerospace Industries representatives, officials from other Israeli defense companies who are tasked with assisting in the implementation of Arrow 3 in Germany took part in the meeting. The staggering $3.5 billion deal is the largest defense deal in Israel’s history, making this recent meeting an important milestone.
Israeli and German officials finalized the Arrow 3 missile defense deal back in 2023. After then-Israeli Defense Ministry director General Eyal Zamir signed a letter of commitment alongside his German counterpart, the agreement was declared a “huge achievement for the defense industry” and “a historic day for our two nations that will help make German air defense fit for the future,” by former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant.
An Overview of Arrow 3
Serving as the highest layer of Israel’s multi-tiered air defense strategy, the Arrow 3 plays a critical role in protecting the nation from the slew of hostile adversaries that surround it. In addition to the Iron Dome and David’s Sling, Arrow has helped thwart scores of enemy-launched drones, missiles, and rockets throughout the multi-front war Israel has been consumed by since October 7, 2023. In fact, the Arrow 3 achieved its first-ever operational interception in Gaza just one month after Hamas launched its invasion. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the air defense system intercepted a “target launched towards Israel in the Red Sea region,” indicating it had been fired from the direction of Iranian-back Houthis in Yemen.
Arrow 3 officially entered service with the IDF in 2017 as a joint US-Israeli missile defense interceptor designed to effectively counter medium-range ballistic missiles. However, manufacturer IAI began carrying out initial tests for its Arrow 3 product in the early 2010s.
What sets Arrow 3 apart from its near-peer kill vehicles is its solid rocket motor. Alternatively, similar systems fielded by other nations feature liquid or gas propulsion. Based on its Arrow 2 predecessor, the Arrow 3 hosts many of the same features. However, the newer system covers longer ranges and works at faster speeds and higher altitudes. As detailed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Arrow 3 “missile fits in a 21-inch vertical launch tube and has an estimated flyout range of up to 2,400 km. Arrow 3’s boosters and kill vehicle employ thrust vector control for maneuvering. The interceptor also includes a deployable rear flare for added aerodynamic stability.”
Based on Arrow 3’s successful performance in Israel over the last two years, perhaps Germany won’t be the only foreign state to buy the missile system in the near future.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: שי שלחוב / IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.
