Germany on Thursday agreed to purchase the Israeli-made Arrow 3 hypersonic missile system, which will play a significant role in defending Europe against aerial attack.
At a news conference with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius described the signing of the agreement as a “historic day” for both nations.
The sale, which is estimated to be worth $3.5 billion (3.3 billion euros), is the largest ever for Israel’s defense sector. According to Pistorius, the Arrow 3 system would “make German air defense ready for the future.”
Germany has led a push to bolster NATO’s air defences in Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, urging allies to buy deterrence systems together.
“We can see with the daily Russian attacks on Ukraine how important anti-air defence is,” Pistorius said.
The signing of the deal was a “moving event for every Jew”, looking back at the events of the Holocaust, Gallant said.
“Only 80 years since the end of the Second World War yet Israel and Germany join hands today in building a safer future,” he said.
