Israel, Germany sign $3.5B Arrow 3 deal

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday signed a letter of commitment in Berlin for the sale of the Arrow 3 long-range anti-ballistic missile system to Germany, the largest single security deal advanced by Israel to date. 

The signing marks the strengthening of security ties between the two states, said Israel’s Defense Ministry in a statement. Having arrived in Berlin Wednesday evening, Gallant will also discuss security threats and regional challenges for Europe and the Middle East with Boris Pistorius, his German counterpart. At a press conference after the signing ceremony, Gallant said, “Eighty years since World War II, Israel and Germany join hands in building a safer future for both nations.”

The Arrow 3 — developed and produced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) together with the US aerospace company Boeing — is Israel’s most advanced long-range missile defense system. IAI began testing Arrow 3 in 2011.

The system can intercept ballistic missiles carrying nuclear, chemical, biological or conventional warheads while they are still outside Earth's atmosphere, and a divert motor enables the Arrow 3 missiles to change trajectory while in flight. The missiles have a flight range of up to 2,400 km (1,500 miles). With the Arrow 3 ready for manufacture, IAI and Boeing are already at work developing the next phase of the system, Arrow 4.