Germany looks to purchase Israeli Arrow-3 missile defense system for 4 billion euros
Report comes as relations remain tense between Russia and the West over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine
Germany reportedly intends to invest close to 4 billion euros (4.30 billion USD) to acquire Israel’s advanced Arrow-3 missile defense system, according to Reuters news agency. The report comes as relations between Russia and the West over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine remain tense. The German government reportedly plans to release the initial payment of 495 million euros over the upcoming week.
The Arrow-3 is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles and is reportedly capable of neutralizing non-conventional warheads at a safe altitude outside of the earth’s atmosphere. It is a complementary system to Israel’s Iron Dome, which has earned headlines with its largely successful interceptions of incoming short-distance missiles from the Gaza Strip.
Following the first Gulf War in 1991, when the Saddam Hussein fired around 40 Scud missiles at the Jewish state, Israel decided to develop missile defense systems that were more efficient than the American Patriot system. With the assistance of U.S. funding, Israel eventually became a world leader in the field of missile defense systems.
In early April, the new NATO member Finland announced its intention to acquire Israel’s David’s Sling anti-missile system amid growing threats from neighboring Russia.
“The David’s Sling system will extend the operational range of Finland’s ground-based air defense capabilities significantly,” said the Finnish government in an official statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also urged Israel to deliver its anti-missile defense system to Ukraine. However, Jerusalem has so far resisted pressures to provide weapons systems to Ukraine out of concern it could potentially harm Russian-Israeli ties and Israeli military freedom of action in Syria, where Russia controls the airspace.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
