Pistorius: Arrow 3 strengthens German and European air defence

Germany's air defence - and that of its partners - is set to be significantly strengthened as the first elements of the new Arrow 3 missile defence system are activated, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told dpa in Berlin.

"We now gain, for the first time, the capability for early warning and protection of our population and infrastructure against long-range ballistic missiles," Pistorius said. "With this strategic capability, unique among our European partners, we secure our central role at the heart of Europe."

The German Air Force is set to declare the system's initial operational capability on Wednesday at its Schönewalde/Holzdorf air base, about 80 kilometres south of Berlin. The base is the first of three planned Arrow sites in Germany.

According to the German military, this means the first system elements — radar, launchers and trained personnel — are now operational and can begin protective operations on a limited scale.

This step is known by NATO as Initial Operational Capability (IOC), which marks the start of actual deployment, to be followed by Full Operational Capability (FOC) when the system reaches its full potential and all planned functions are available.

"This way, we are protecting not only ourselves, but also our partners. We strengthen NATO's European pillar and fulfil a NATO planning objective," Pistorius said, adding that Germany is taking on its responsibility.

Pistorius thanked Israeli and US partners, who jointly developed the system, as well as soldiers and civilian staff for their efforts. The minister also noted that the contract for the system was signed only two years ago.

Germany's first long-range missile shield

The system is expected to give Germany, for the first time, the ability to detect and intercept incoming ballistic missiles outside the Earth's atmosphere.

According to the manufacturer, Arrow 3 is built to intercept and destroy long-range threats, including those carrying weapons of mass destruction, while neutralizing harmful substances like chemical agents as safely as possible at high altitudes.

The Israeli military spoke of the largest arms deal in Israel's history. The German armed forces are investing €3.6 billion ($4.2 billion) in the system, which is being deployed outside Israel for the first time.

Germany is increasing investments in air defence and has launched the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) to develop a continental missile defence network, a response to Russia's war in Ukraine. So far, 23 partner countries have joined the project.