Bundeswehr plans to buy Israel's Arrow 4 missile defence system, which is still in development
Germany has announced its intention to purchase Israel's Arrow 4 missile defence system, which is currently under development.
Here's What We Know
Deputy Inspector General of the German Air Force Lieutenant General Lutz Kohlhaus said during the CPM GmbH Ground Air Defence Summit in Berlin that Arrow 4 will be a continuation of the Arrow 2 system, covering the altitude range above the Patriot level to space. Germany will thus have full coverage of all altitudes with Arrow 3, the first unit of which will become operational in the northeast of the country at the end of the year.
The advantage of Arrow 4 is that it can be integrated with existing Arrow radars and launchers, reducing deployment costs.
Arrow 3. Illustration: Israel Aerospace Industries
Germany also continues to purchase US Patriot air defence systems and F-35 fighter jets. In addition, the Bundeswehr plans to modernise its Air Force command posts to make them more mobile and introduce new GIADS 5 and Sitaware control software.
The purchase of US software is being considered for the new eight Patriot systems, with a final decision to be made by the end of the year. The German Air Force has also requested an accelerated procurement of six additional Iris-T SLM air defence systems.
In early May, Germany already received the first component of the Arrow 3 - the control centre. The purchase of three such systems was formalised by a contract dated 23 November 2023, worth about €4 billion.
Source: Hartpunkt
