Germany to Deploy Israeli-Made Arrow 3 Air Defense Missile System for the First Time in Europe.

Germany is set to activate its first Israeli-made Arrow 3 air defense missile system battery, marking the system's debut operational use outside Israel. The deployment gives NATO a new layer of long-range missile defense and signals Berlin's growing leadership in European security.

Germany will place its first Israeli-made Arrow 3 air defense missile battery into operational status this week, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post on November 30, 2025. The long-range interceptor system, developed jointly by Israel's Ministry of Defense and Israel Aerospace Industries with U.S. support, is designed to strike ballistic threats outside the atmosphere. German officials have not released the exact activation timeline, but defense planners describe the move as a critical step toward strengthening Europe’s upper-tier missile shield amid heightened strategic uncertainty.
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An Arrow 3 interceptor is launched during a test fire, demonstrating the system’s exoatmospheric interception capability. Germany will be the first country outside Israel to deploy the system under a €4 billion defense agreement. (Picture source: Wikimedia)

The procurement agreement for the acquisition of the Arrow 3 air defense missile system was officially signed on August 17, 2023, by the German and Israeli Ministries of Defense, with formal United States approval under the Foreign Military Sales framework. Valued at approximately four billion euros, the deal represents Israel’s largest-ever defense export. Under the terms of the contract, Germany will receive four complete Arrow 3 air defense units. Each system includes multiple interceptor launchers, a substantial inventory of missiles, the EL/M-2080S Super Green Pine long-range radar, and the Citron Tree battle management system.

With the first Arrow 3 battery entering final preparations and initial operational capability expected by early 2026, Germany positions itself at the forefront of NATO’s missile defense. Deliveries are scheduled to continue through 2030. The systems will be integrated into NATO’s air and missile defense command network, providing a strategic high-altitude interception layer for long-range missile threats from well beyond Europe’s borders.

The Arrow 3 system forms the uppermost layer of Israel’s multi-tiered missile defense network, developed jointly by Israel Aerospace Industries and Boeing under the direction of the Israel Missile Defense Organization and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. It is specifically designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles during their midcourse phase in space, before they reenter Earth’s atmosphere. It uses a hit-to-kill approach, relying on high-velocity kinetic impact to neutralize threats without an explosive warhead.

Arrow 3 is a two-stage solid-fuel interceptor with a lightweight kill vehicle that can independently acquire and destroy targets at altitudes exceeding 100 kilometers. It is capable of engaging short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, including those carrying unconventional warheads. The system’s EL/M-2080S Super Green Pine radar provides long-range target detection and tracking, while the Citron Tree battle management center enables coordinated engagement across multiple batteries and integrates seamlessly with NATO’s command-and-control networks.

What distinguishes Arrow 3 from other missile defense systems on the current military market is its ability to intercept ballistic missiles in space. In contrast, the widely fielded U.S. Patriot PAC-3 MSE air defense system is optimized for endoatmospheric terminal-phase engagements and cannot counter ballistic missiles in the midcourse flight phase. THAAD, another American platform, offers higher engagement altitudes and was designed to bridge the gap between Patriot and space-based interceptors, but it is primarily operated by the United States and has not been transferred to European partners for full national control.

Russia’s S-500 Prometheus, which Moscow claims is capable of exoatmospheric intercepts, remains largely unverified in operational environments and has not been tested or exported in a way that demonstrates its combat credibility. China’s HQ-19, reportedly comparable in concept, is still in development and has not been fielded in any allied country. Neither of these systems has demonstrated the operational track record or alliance integration that Arrow 3 now brings to Germany and NATO.

The Arrow 3 acquisition gives Germany a unique capability within Europe, filling the strategic upper tier in a multi-layered defense architecture. It will work alongside existing German Patriot batteries and the domestically developed IRIS-T SLM air defense system, which addresses medium- and short-range threats. This layered configuration aligns with the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), launched in 2022 and led by Germany, which aims to integrate air and missile defenses across more than a dozen participating nations.

With threats expanding across multiple regions, including growing missile capabilities from Iran, North Korea, and potentially hostile state and non-state actors, the need for a comprehensive, altitude-diverse air defense structure has become urgent. Arrow 3 adds a critical dimension to Germany’s defense posture and establishes it as a leading contributor to NATO’s evolving deterrence strategy.

From a strategic standpoint, the arrival of Arrow 3 represents a shift in how NATO and its European members prepare for the next generation of missile threats. It is not merely an air defense asset, but a space-capable shield that signals Germany’s intention to defend not only its airspace but also the broader European security zone. With this system now entering operational service under German command, NATO’s missile defense framework gains a credible layer against high-velocity, long-range threats that were previously beyond reach.

The presence of Israeli-made Arrow 3 air defense missile systems on European soil confirms a new reality in modern warfare, where the space domain is no longer the exclusive realm of satellites and surveillance. It is now a critical theater for missile defense, and Germany’s decision to adopt and deploy Arrow 3 ensures that Europe is no longer defenseless against strategic ballistic missile attacks from outside the continent.

Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.