The United States has given the green light for a $3.5bn sale of Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defence system to Germany, the Israeli Ministry of Defense says.
The ministry said in a statement on Thursday that senior officials from the Israeli and German defence ministries would sign a letter of commitment to the deal with a preliminary payment of $600m.
“With its exceptional long-range interception capabilities, operating at high altitudes above the atmosphere, [the Arrow 3] stands as the top interceptor of its kind,” it said of the US-Israeli developed missile system.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was quoted in the statement as calling the agreement “the largest in Israel’s history”, adding that it would “contribute to Israel’s force buildup and economy”.
The chairwoman of the German Bundestag’s Defence Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, said she was “relieved” by the US approval of the deal.
The Arrow 3 system “will be operational by the end of 2025 and on our initiative will become part of a European air defence system”, she told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa news agency.
“What makes it special is that it is the first anti-ballistic system that can also be used in the stratosphere, ie at an altitude of 100km [60 miles],” Strack-Zimmermann said. “In future, it will help protect Germany and our neighbouring countries from air strikes.”
The Bundestag’s Budget and Defence committees had voted in favour of the purchase in June.
