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D.The fact that Germany has large gaps in air defense has now led to Chancellor Olaf Scholz announcing extensive investments in this segment.

A few days later it also became clear why the new air defense system announced by Scholz can be designed from the outset in such a way that neighboring European countries can participate in it: The Bundeswehr wants to procure the Arrow anti-missile defense system in Israel, which other countries are also using due to its long range ballistic missiles would protect.

During the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Jair Lapid to Germany in mid-September, he and Scholz then announced cooperation in the field of air defense. At the meeting, the Chancellor emphasized that Israel has a very powerful offer with the Arrow 3 system.

Mit diesem System für die sogenannte territoriale Flugkörperabwehr wird die Bundeswehr eine neue strategische Fähigkeit erhalten, die überdies einen 360-Grad-Schutz gewährleisten soll. Wie es in Fachkreisen heißt, ist das System dafür ausgelegt, anfliegende Langstreckenraketen in der so genannten Midcourse-Phase im Weltraum abzufangen.

Arrow 3 is said to be superior to the US THAAD system, which is also being considered by the Bundeswehr and which is intended to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles in their "terminal phase", particularly when it comes to defending against missiles with a range of several thousand kilometers.  Im Gegensatz zu Arrow 3 kann der THAAD-Flugkörper allerdings sowohl endo- als auch exoatmosphärisch wirken und sein Einsatzhöhenband überlappt laut der amerikanischen Missile Defense Agency mit den Einsatzhöhen von Patriot am unteren und der nur exoatmosphärisch einsetzbaren SM-3-Abfangrakete am oberen Ende. Die SM-3 ist bei den US-Streitkräften in erster Linie für den Einsatz von Aegis-Schiffen vorgesehen, wovon auch einige an der NATO-Südflanke stationiert sind.

The Luftwaffe will have to modernize its Patriot units in the coming years (Photo: Bundeswehr/Tom Twardy)

For the Arrow system, which according to the Bundeswehr Procurement Office BAAINBw should already be available in 2025, in addition to the Arrow 3 type effectors and launch devices, the Green Pine Block C radar, a battle management center, a launching control center and additional components are procured.

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