Germany will bring its first long-range Arrow 3 missile defence system into initial operation this Wednesday, roughly 40 miles south of Berlin, German media report. The deployment marks the first Arrow 3 battery outside Israel and a major step in Berlin's post-Ukraine invasion rearmament program.
The system, bought in 2023 at a total cost of around $4 billion, consists of three batteries, each with four launchers loaded with six ready-to-fire missiles. Arrow 3 interceptors can reach targets up to 2,400 kilometers away and engage ballistic missiles at altitudes of up to 100 kilometers.
Germany's growing role in European air defence
The activation underscores Germany's growing role in European air defence, complementing the European Sky Shield Initiative, which now involves 24 member states. Top defence officials are expected to attend the launch at Fliegerhorst Holzdorf/Schönewalde airbase, straddling Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt.
Arrow 3 has a proven track record in Israel, having intercepted ballistic missiles from Yemen and Iran, building on the combat debut of its predecessor, Arrow 2, in exoatmospheric engagements.