TSAMTO, April 6. The United States and Israel have approved Germany's acquisition of the Israeli Arrow-3 missile defense system (Arrow 3 or Hetz 3).
As The Jerusalem Post reminds, in early April 2022, Germany announced its interest in acquiring an Israeli-made missile defense system to protect against modern air threats, including (mainly) Russian Iskander missiles based in Kaliningrad.
It is known that last month German lawmakers insisted on Berlin's purchase of the Israeli Iron Dome system. Nevertheless, on April 4, the commander of the German Air Force, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerharz, told The Jerusalem Post that Arrow-3 "is the most suitable system to combat modern threats."
According to him, the "Iron Dome" is used as a system for air defense/About short-range action. Germany has its own powerful industry, and the corresponding systems can be purchased from a national manufacturer. As a long-range high-altitude air defense system, American Patriots are being used, which will be upgraded. At the same time, to defeat ballistic targets at altitudes above 15 km and further in the exosphere, the possibility of buying Israeli Arrow-3 complexes is being considered.
"The purchase of the system, which was lobbied by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, begins with the approval of Israel and the United States, which we have now received," I. Gerhartz said. "Further negotiations on the details of the proposed deal are to be held."
According to the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, the purchase of the Arrow-3 system, which is still under development, will cost the German budget at least 2 billion. euro. The article says that the complex will be put into operation, approximately, by 2025. The EL/M-2080 "Green Pine" radar stations are planned to be installed in three locations in Germany, from where data will be sent to the Joint Air Operations Center of the NATO Air Force in Udem (Germany).
Arrow 3 or Hetz 3 is an anti–atmospheric missile jointly funded, developed and produced by Israel and the United States. The project is jointly managed by the US Missile Defense Agency and the Missile Defense Organization in the Defense Research and Development Department of the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
The main contractor for the integration and development of the system is the MALAM division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which is responsible for the radar; the Elbit Systems Elisra division, which developed fire control systems; as well as IAI TAMAM, Israel Military Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which jointly developed the interceptor missile. The main partner on the American side is Boeing.
Arrow-3 is a highly maneuverable system designed to provide missile defense, and provides interception of ballistic missiles located outside the Earth's atmosphere. Arrow-3 is a kinetic-action interceptor missile (Arrow-2 uses a non-contact warhead).
It is expected that the Arrow-3 battery will be able to intercept more than five ballistic missiles during their multiple launch within 30 seconds. Moreover, the anti-missile can be launched before the final calculation of the flight path of the target. The complex is reportedly capable of destroying intercontinental ballistic missiles at a maximum range of 2,400 km and a maximum altitude of 100 km.