On 3 December, Israel delivered the first ARROW 3 battery to the German Air Force during a ceremony at Holzdorf Air Base, approximately 120 km south of Berlin. The contract, worth €4 billion ($4.6 billion) and covering the delivery of three batteries, represents the largest military export deal in Israel’s history.

The system is jointly developed by the Israel Missile Defense Organization, part of the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Israel Aerospace Industries is responsible for developing the interceptor and radar, while Elbit Systems handles the command-and-control systems. Tomer and Rafael serve as main subcontractors for propulsion and interceptor production.

With the delivery of the ARROW 3 battery, Germany becomes the first country to field the exo-atmospheric ARROW 3 system outside Israel.

The sale forms part of the controversial European Sky Shield Initiative, led by Germany to strengthen continental Europe’s air-defense architecture in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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