Already in early April, reports began surfacing that Berlin is interested in purchasing Israeli-made air- and missile-defense systems, in addition to unmanned aerial vehicles.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a little over a month old, and a Bundestag Defense Committee delegation visited the Israel Defense Forces.
The lawmakers expressed particular interest in the Arrow-3 defense system, which is made by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and provides exo-atmospheric interception of ballistic missiles.
Now, with reports surfacing that Berlin has made a preliminary decision to buy the Arrow-3, rather than the competing THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) system made by Lockheed Martin, Israel appears to be a step closer to playing a significant role in Germany’s ability to defend itself against future Russian missile threats.
The Arrow-3 is operational in Israel, part of the country’s multi-tier air-defense program. It intercepts and destroys ballistic threats in space using the most advanced technology, and can adeptly navigate outside the Earth’s atmosphere. IAI is now developing the Arrow-4, which will operate within and outside the atmosphere.