BERLIN
Germany is set to activate its first Israeli-made Arrow 3 air defense missile system battery aimed at stopping incoming long-range ballistic missiles, media reports said Wednesday.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said this air defense would significantly strengthen his country and its partners.
"This gives us the ability for the first time to provide early warning and protect our population and infrastructure from long-range ballistic missiles. With this strategic capability, which is unique among our European partners, we are securing our central role in the heart of Europe,“ Pistorius told the German Press Agency (dpa) in Berlin.
"This means we are not only protecting ourselves but also our partners. We are strengthening the European pillar of NATO and taking on a NATO planning goal," he added.
The system, which was procured in Israel, is reportedly a response to the threat posed by Russia. The defense system is designed to destroy enemy missiles at altitudes of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles)—a capability that the German Armed Forces does not currently possess.
The Schonewalde/Holzdorf air base, located south of Berlin, is the first of three planned Arrow locations.
Germany will be the first country outside Israel to deploy the system under a €3.6 billion ($4.2 billion) defense agreement.
After the end of the Cold War, European countries scaled back their defense of military and civilian targets against air attacks and then neglected it for a long time. NATO planning circles have recently stated that defense capabilities against air attacks would need to be increased by 400%.
The German government is now investing more heavily in air defense. Germany has also launched an initiative for a European air defense system (European Sky Shield Initiative/ESSI), and 23 partner countries have joined the project.
Berlin's arms trade and military cooperation with Israel is contentious due to the Israeli military's genocidal acts and war crimes in Gaza.Germany has concluded military procurement agreements with Israeli firms and exported large quantities of weapons to Israel in recent years, despite growing public opposition.
From October 7, 2023, to June 5, 2025, Germany authorized arms sales to Israel totaling more than €492 million ($573 million).
Amid growing public pressure, Chancellor Friedrich Merz ordered restrictions on arms exports to Israel in August. However, he lifted these restrictions last month, citing the October 10 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Merz, a strong supporter of Israel, has repeatedly emphasized Germany’s historical responsibility for Israel’s security, rooted in its Nazi past and the Holocaust.
A representative poll published by the Korber Foundation last month found that 82% of Germans oppose the government's military support to Israel for its war in Gaza. Only 15% expressed support.
The survey also revealed a fundamental shift in how Germans view their historical obligations, with 60% rejecting the notion that Germany bears special responsibility for Israel due to its history and the Holocaust. Just 38% supported this traditional stance.