Germany, Israel sign landmark deal
The Arrow 3 system is designed to destroy space-borne projectiles before their re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, including ballistic missiles and their warheads, as well as satellites.
(TIMES OF ISRAEL) – Israeli and German officials signed a deal last week to move forward with the nearly €4 billion purchase of the Israeli-and American-developed Arrow 3 long-range air defence system, marking a major step toward Israel’s largest-ever defence contract as Berlin looks to bolster its missile shield array amid fears of a new cold war with Russia.
Defence Minister Yoav Gallant called the signing “a huge achievement for the defence industry” and “a historic day for our two nations that will help make German air defence fit for the future”, moments after Defence Ministry Director-General Eyal Zamir signed a letter of commitment alongside the German Defence Ministry’s head of procurement, Annette Lehnigk-Emden.
The complete deal will come close to €4 billion ($A6.6 billion), according to Israel Aerospace Industries chairman and CEO Boaz Levy, marking Israel’s largest-ever single defence contract.
Gallant and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius, who were present in Berlin’s Defence Ministry to oversee their ministries signing the letter of commitment, signed a separate declaration reinforcing defence cooperation between the two countries.
Despite the fanfare and high-level representation, the deal will only be officially concluded with the signing of a separate contract once Germany’s parliamentary budget committee approves the purchase, expected in October.
The Arrow 3 system is designed to destroy space-borne projectiles before their re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, including ballistic missiles and their warheads, as well as satellites. The US approved the sale in August, and it will represent part of the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative, to beef up continental Europe’s air defences in response to Russian airstrikes in Ukraine.
The system “will defend all of Germany, and then some beyond”, said Moshe Patel, head of the Israel Missile Defence Organisation.
Eighteen countries have signed onto the European Sky Shield Initiative since it was conceived in August 2023. The plan urges allies to buy deterrence systems together, with a focus on having them be interoperable with NATO air and missile defence systems.
Gallant noted the common thread running between European fears of Russia and Israel’s own rivalry with Iran.
“Today, more than ever, we share common threats. The Iranian fingerprint is everywhere,” Gallant said, referring both to Iranian proxies on Israel’s borders and Iranian drone sales to Russia, pounding the battlefield in Ukraine.
“In the face of Iranian aggression, we must prioritise security readiness and capabilities, as well as bold actions by the international community,” Gallant said.
“The Iranian drones that kill innocent civilians around the world are just the promo for what we will see, if the missile embargo on Iran expires in a month,” he added.
Embargoes on missile deals with Iran that were set in 2015 as part of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action deal are set to expire in October 2023. Israel has pressed JCPOA signatories to extend the embargo timeline.
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