The Israeli Ministry of Defense will increase the number of missiles ordered for the Arrow-3 air defense missile system.

The Israel MOD announced this on the X social media.

As part of the expansion of the number of missiles ordered and the acceleration of production, the Israel MOD has signed billions of shekels contract with the Israel Aerospace Company to expand the production of Arrow-3 interceptor missiles.

The purchase takes place amid constant shelling of Israel with Iranian-made ballistic missiles from the territory controlled by the Yemeni Houthis.

The Arrow-3 system is currently the highest echelon of Israel’s missile defense, as it is capable of intercepting ballistic missiles while they are still outside the exoatmosphere.

“Israel has the best air defense capability in the world,” said Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz.

It should be noted that the deployment of these systems was launched in 2011 as part of the expansion of the Israeli Air Force facility in Tal Shahar. They complemented the Arrow-2 systems as part of Israel’s missile defense system.

The exact number of third-generation systems is unknown, but production for the Israeli Defense Forces’ needs is still ongoing.

In addition to Israel, Germany is also purchasing these systems. In June 2023, an agreement was signed to purchase several batteries of these missile defense systems.

Berlin expects the air defense system to be delivered in the last quarter of 2025. The money to finance the deal will come from the EUR 100 billion national defense fund, which German Chancellor Olaf Scholz created to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Militarnyi previously reported that Finland purchased David’s Sling missile defense systems from Israel.

The contract, described as historic, is valued at around €317 million. Within the agreement, Israel would hand over Israeli-American missiles, launchers, and Israeli-made radars to Finland.

Finland placed an order for David’s Sling in April 2023. According to the Finnish Ministry of Defense plans, the system would perform the role of a long-range air defense system.

The Finnish Ministry of Defense notes that the new system will significantly expand the range of Finland’s ground-based air defense facilities.