Germany is in talks to buy the Arrow 3 missile defence system from Israel intended to strengthen the German armed forces following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on a visit to the German capital on Monday.
Germany has increased up its military spending after Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February, while providing Kyiv with aid and heavy weapons as part of an international response.
“Israel … will play a part in building Germany’s new defence force, mainly in the field of air defence,” Lapid told reporters, speaking alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“… it has to do with our total commitment to the safety of Germany, to the safety of Europe, to the ability of liberal democracies to defend themselves,” he added.
Lapid described their talks as leading to a “future possible deal” but declined to outline the cost. Scholz said Germany would strengthen its defences by purchasing more air defence systems in the future and called the Arrow 3 system a “high-performance offer” but also declined to go into specifics.
Arrow 3 interceptors are currently Israel’s most advanced long-range missile defense system. They are unique and designed to fly beyond the earth’s atmosphere, where their warheads detach to become “kamikaze” satellites, or “kill vehicles” that track and slam into the targets. Such high-altitude shoot-downs are meant to safely destroy incoming nuclear, biological or chemical missiles. The innovative Arrow 3 interceptor is designed to intercept and destroy the newest, longer-range threats, especially those carrying weapons of mass destruction.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Michael Sohn
