Overview
- The Luftwaffe declared initial operational capability for the first Arrow 3 battery at Schönewalde/Annaburger Heide, enabling limited protective operations with radar, launchers and trained crews.
- Designed to counter long‑range ballistic missiles, the system intercepts targets outside the atmosphere at roughly 100 kilometers altitude and beyond 2,000 kilometers range using hit‑to‑kill technology to minimize WMD risks.
- Germany procured three Arrow 3 batteries from Israel and the United States in 2023 in a deal reported at about $3.5 billion, financed from the Bundeswehr’s special fund, marking the first deployment outside Israel.
- Arrow 3 is intended to form the outer layer of a multilayer defense alongside Patriot and IRIS‑T, with two additional German sites planned and full national readiness targeted for 2030, and integration into NATO air defense foreseen.
- Supporters cite a strategic gap closed against high‑end ballistic threats, while critics question coverage against short‑range rockets and cruise missiles; Israel’s defense ministry says the system has intercepted thousands of rockets.