Israel Hands Over Arrow 3 Missile Defence to Germany in Historic €4 Billion Deal
Israel has officially handed over its Arrow 3 long-range missile defence system to the German Air Force, marking the largest defence export in Israel’s history with a €4 billion agreement.
The delivery, which took place Wednesday at Holzdorf Air Base in eastern Germany, roughly 120 kilometres south of Berlin, represents the first deployment of the Arrow 3 system outside Israel and the United States. Germany will receive additional systems at other sites in the near future.
Senior Israeli defence officials, including Defence Ministry Director General Amir Baram, Danny Gold, head of the ministry’s Directorate of Defence Research & Development, Israel Aerospace Industries CEO Boaz Levy, and Missile Defence Organization director Moshe Patel, attended the ceremony. While German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and Chancellor Friedrich Merz were absent, other military and defence officials were present.
Addressing the attendees, Baram, a second-generation Holocaust survivor, reflected on the historic significance of the event. “A ballistic missile defence system, developed by the finest Jewish minds in Israel’s aerospace industry, born out of our existential necessity, will now help defend Germany,” he said.
He added, “We Israelis, descendants of Holocaust survivors, want to see Germany strong, prosperous, and leading in Europe. Today’s handover marks only the beginning of a deepening partnership between Israel and Germany in the air, on land, and in space.”
Baram also praised Berlin for lifting an arms embargo on Israel, stating, “Israel defends itself against nuclear threats, ballistic missiles, and terrorism — protecting not just ourselves, but the entire Western world.”
Israel’s Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, emphasized the broader strategic partnership between the two nations. “Germany is Israel’s most important ally in Europe. Today, only 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, the Jewish state is helping defend Germany and all of Europe through our advanced technologies,” Prosor said.
The Arrow 3 system intercepts ballistic missiles while they are still in space. During a 12-day confrontation with Iran in June, Israeli forces recorded an 86% interception rate against missiles launched by Iran and the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen.
The acquisition forms part of Germany-led European Sky Shield Initiative, designed to bolster continental air defence amid security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ahead of the delivery, Defence Minister Pistorius noted, “For the first time, this gives us early warning and protection against long-range ballistic missiles. This strategic capability secures our central role at the heart of Europe.”
The deal further strengthens defence cooperation between the two nations, which includes joint military drills and Germany’s recent procurement of the Israeli TROPHY active protection system for its Leopard 2 tanks, the first of which has already entered service.
