As Europe's security landscape changed, the Luftwaffe chief has traveled to Israel to purchase the first part of the Arrow 3 defense system as Germany attempts to promote its air defense system.
A spokesman for the Air Force said Lieutenant Ingo Gerhartz visited the Arrow 3 manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industry (IAI) to receive central communication elements of the weapon system.
The Luftwaffe aims to achieve modern supersonic, rebounding missile systems by the end of this year to achieve initial combat readiness as the country seeks to close the defense gap.
The Arrow 3 is able to shoot down missiles at an altitude of more than 100 kilometers – which could damage projectiles outside the atmosphere, a capability that Germany's current defensive umbrellas do not have.
“With Arrow 3, Germany is adopting an Israeli weapon system, which will help protect Germany from air threats,” Gerhartz told DPA.
The first of the three locations of the shooting force is designated as the Holtsdorf Military Air Force in eastern Germany, which is about 75 kilometers south of the German capital, where construction works are underway.
Given that Russia is seeking substantial investment in air defense amid a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Germany has raised concerns about Moscow's attack on European NATO territory in the coming years.
To this end, Germany also launched an initiative to target European common air defense systems – the European Skydunk Initiative.
