Germany and 13 more NATO partners, amongst which Bulgaria as well, aim to jointly procure air defense systems that protect allied territory from missiles and three systems are being discussed, including Israel’s Arrow 3 developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the largest Israeli state-owned defense company, according to recent media reports.

“With this initiative, we are living up to our joint responsibility for security in Europe – by bundling our resources,” German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said, quoted by Reuters, during a ceremony at NATO’s Brussels headquarters where 14 countries signed a letter of intent. Estonia wasn’t present at the event but will also be part of the initiative, dubbed “European Sky Shield”. In total it comprises half of NATO’s members – including Germany, Britain, Slovakia, Norway, Latvia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovenia.

What do we need to know about Arrow 3 air defense system? The Arrow system is a key element of Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system. It includes advanced radar systems developed and manufactured by Elta Systems, a subsidiary of IAI, as well as a BMC system developed by Elbit Systems and a Launch Array incorporating interceptors manufactured by MLM (a subsidiary of IAI).

Arrow-3 is an exoatmospheric hypersonic anti-ballistic system. This means that it can intercept enemy ballistic missiles flying at altitudes above 100 km. The Arrow 3 was delivered to operational use in 2017 and serves as the upper layer of Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system, along with the Arrow 2. In the past few years, both interceptors have been upgraded and have demonstrated excellent capabilities during successful tests conducted in Israel and Alaska (USA).

The innovative Arrow 3 interceptor is part of the Arrow Weapon System (AWS), which is the world’s first operational, national, stand-alone ATBM (Anti-Tactical Ballistic Missile) defense system. Arrow 3 is designed to intercept and destroy the latest threats at longer ranges, especially those carrying weapons of mass destruction.

One of the most valuable features of Israel’s anti-missile defense system is that it can intercept and neutralize intercontinental ballistic missiles carrying nuclear weapons.

Arrow 3 is capable of maneuvering in space to destroy enemy missiles. The effective range of 2,400 kilometers effectively turns the Arrow 3 into an anti-satellite weapon as well. This is also confirmed by the Israel Space Agency.

The system was patented in 2009, and the first deliveries were only in 2017. During this time, the development goes through numerous tests where it proves its functionality.

In 2021 Israel’s Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), which is part of the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT), and the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) began development of the Arrow-4 system. The new system will be a next-generation endo-exo-atmospheric interceptor from the Arrow weapon system family, which currently consists of the Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 interceptors.

Arrow-4 will be a modern, innovative interceptor missile with enhanced capabilities. It will address a wide range of evolving threats in the region and will replace the Arrow-2 interceptors in the coming decades. The project is led by IMDO and MDA, with Israel’s state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) as the prime contractor for the project to develop and manufacture the system and its interceptors.

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