Armaments from Israel | Air Force General takes delivery of first parts for Arrow 3
Tel Aviv. The planned deployment of the Arrow 3 air defense system for Germany is on schedule, according to the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). During a visit to the manufacturer's IAI premises in Tel Aviv, the Inspector of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, took delivery of the first components, an Air Force spokesperson said. This represents the central communications element of the weapon system.
The Air Force aims to achieve initial operational readiness for the modern missile system this year. The "Arrow" is reportedly capable of destroying incoming missiles at altitudes of up to 100 kilometers, meaning even outside the atmosphere and in the early stages of space.
The German government intends to increase investment in air defense. Germany has also launched an initiative for a European air defense system (European Sky Shield Initiative/ESSI) – a consequence of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
The first of three locations for the Arrow 3 fire units will be the Holzdorf military airbase in eastern Germany, south of the capital. Construction work is underway there. "With Arrow 3, Germany is acquiring an Israeli weapons system on my initiative that will help protect Germany against air threats," Gerhartz told the German Press Agency.
In the coming weeks, the Inspector General will relinquish his command of the Air Force and then become commander of NATO's Allied Joint Forces Command (Allied Joint Forces Command) in Brunssum, Netherlands. It is one of the military alliance's two operational headquarters in Europe.
Commenting on the visit to Tel Aviv, the general said: "My first foreign trip as Inspector General of the Air Force was to Israel in 2018, shortly after I took over, and now, seven years later, I'm coming back here for my final trip. It's a full circle." dpa/nd
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