Defense Minister Gallant to fly to Germany Wednesday for Arrow deal signing

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant will fly to Germany Wednesday to participate in the signing of the sale of the Arrow 3 long-range anti-ballistic missile system, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

The signing will signal strengthening security ties between the states, said the minister’s office. In Berlin, Gallant and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will discuss security threats and regional challenges for Europe and the Middle East.

Gallant will also visit the Platform 17 memorial at the Berlin-Grunewald rail station, where Jews were deported to concentration and death camps during the Holocaust.

The Arrow 3 system

The price of the Arrow 3 system is around $4 billion. Initial delivery of the system is expected by 2025; the system is expected to be fully operational by 2030. The Arrow 3 is part of Israel’s multi layered defense system, complemented by the Iron Dome and David’s Sling, intercepting non-conventional threats outside the earth’s atmosphere.

The Israel Missile Defense Organization and the United States Missile Defense Agency co-developed and produced Arrow-3, with Israel Aerospace Industries leading the industrial team.

The US announced that it had approved the sale of the system on August 17, part of the long process involved in the deal. Approvals were delayed in the Bundestag in March after there were questions about the system. In June, the German parliament approved the advance payment.

Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.