Israel finalized a $3.5 billion deal on Thursday to sell its cutting-edge Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany as the nation seeks to protect itself from the types of air assaults that have ravaged Ukraine.

“We see from the daily Russian attacks on Ukraine how important air defense is in general,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters. “Air defense is essential, and particularly for us here in the center of Europe.”

Pistorius hailed the Arrow 3 as “one of the best systems, if not the best.” Berlin plans to implement the anti-missile technology in late 2025 and integrate it into broader NATO air defense programs.

Last year, Berlin also spearheaded the European Sky Shield Initiative, a sprawling air defense campaign that now covers 19 nations.

The United States helped Israel build Arrow and in August green-lighted the German-Israeli deal.

Yoav Gallant, Pistorius’ Israeli counterpart, said that “with two simple signatures today, we made history.” Gallant promised Berlin “a timely and effective delivery.”

Gallant also reflected on how far Germany has come since the Holocaust, pointing out German contributions to Israel’s national security and sovereignty. He called the deal “a moving event for every Jew.”

“Israel and Germany join hands today in building a safer future for both nations,” Gallant said.

Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press.
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