Just months before the completion of the largest defense deal ever signed between Israel and a foreign country, Israel and Germany have begun preparations for the delivery of the Arrow 3 air defense system to the German military.
An initial planning meeting was recently held in Germany, attended by senior officials from both countries' defense ministries. Leading the session was Moshe Patel, head of the Israel Missile Defense Organization in the Directorate of Defense Research and Development at the Defense Ministry. Also present were Col. Carsten Koepper, who is overseeing the project on behalf of Germany, and Yaakov Galifat, head of the MLM Division at Israel Aerospace Industries, which is the prime contractor for developing and manufacturing the system.
Alongside IAI representatives, the meeting was also attended by officials from other Israeli defense companies, as well as from German firms IABG and MBDA, which will assist in integrating the system and developing the operational infrastructure in Germany.
The operational Arrow system, which includes the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 interceptors, was jointly developed by Israel and the US to provide a response to long-range ballistic missiles. Over the past year, the system demonstrated its capabilities in real combat scenarios, including during the Iranian missile attack in April 2024 and in other security incidents.
As preparations for the system's transfer move forward, the Defense Ministry emphasized that the Israel Missile Defense Organization continues to strengthen Israel's multi-layered defense array, while also expanding technological and security cooperation with allied nations, with an emphasis on boosting Israeli defense exports.
