Israel: Israel said that the US has approved the “landmark” sale of the Arrow 3 hypersonic missile defence system to Germany. The missile is jointly produced by Israel and the US.
The Arrow 3 system is an interceptor designed to shoot down ballistic missiles above the Earth’s atmosphere.
Israel’s Defence Ministry commented in a statement that the US State Department had received the US government’s approval for Germany to procure the Arrow 3 system.
“The Israeli Ministry of Defence, the German Federal Ministry of Defence, and Israel Aerospace Industries will sign the landmark $3.5 billion defence agreement, marking Israel’s largest ever defence deal,” the statement said.
The Ministry has announced that high-ranking representatives from the Defense Ministries of Israel and Germany will sign a commitment letter for the deal, accompanied by an initial payment of $600 million.
“With its exceptional long-range interception capabilities, operating at high altitudes above the atmosphere, 3 stands as the top interceptor of its kind. The system employs a hit-to-kill approach for intercepting incoming threats,” the Ministry remarked.
The Israeli Defence Minister, Mr. Yoav Gallant, has called the agreement “the largest in Israel’s history.”
“This is a significant decision, which will contribute to Israel’s force buildup and economy. It is also particularly meaningful to every Jewish person that Germany is acquiring Israeli defence capabilities,” Mr. Gallant quoted.
The conclusive agreement for the deal is anticipated to be formalized by the conclusion of 2023, pending approval from the legislatures of both Israel and Germany, as stated by the Israeli Defense Ministry. Berlin expects the delivery of the Arrow 3 system in the last quarter of 2025.
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