Germany Now Protected by Its First Arrow 3 Air-Defense Systems

On December 3, 2025, the first battery of Arrow 3 air defense systems purchased from Israel was officially placed on duty at the Schönewalde/Holzdorf Air Base in Germany.

Deutschland.de reported on this.

At the end of November, it was announced that German troops had completed their training, which Israeli specialists conducted.

The air defense system was purchased in 2023 under an intergovernmental agreement between Germany and Israel worth about EUR 3 billion.

The missile defense system will be integrated into Germany’s national air defense network and into the European ESSI initiative.

“For the first time, we can issue early warnings and protect our population and infrastructure from long-range ballistic missiles,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated in Berlin.

The deployment of the Arrow 3 system, purchased from Israel, is a response to the threat posed by Russia.

The launch of operations at the Schönewalde/Holzdorf Air Base in Brandenburg is the first of three planned deployment sites for the Arrow 3 missile defense system in Germany.

Arrow 3

The system includes a command post, control equipment, multifunctional radars, and launchers equipped with interceptor missiles.

Its purpose is to intercept medium- and long-range ballistic missiles at altitudes above 100 kilometers. The interceptor missiles can destroy incoming targets outside the Earth’s atmosphere using a direct hit, or “hit-to-kill,” method.

This makes Arrow 3 the highest tier of missile defense in Europe, capable of neutralizing threats beyond the capabilities of Germany’s existing American Patriot systems and its national IRIS-T systems.

The United States, as a partner, is involved in Israel’s development of the Arrow weapons system and produces a significant portion of its components. Therefore, exporting the system requires approval not only from the Israeli government but also from the United States.