Germany has officially declared its Israeli-produced Arrow 3 air defense system operational, enabling it to intercept ballistic missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere.

Germany bought the Arrow 3 system in 2023 for $4.6 billion, making it the largest defense export deal in Israel’s history. 

On Wednesday, the highly advanced system was declared operational at the Schönewalde/Holzdorf air base, some 80 kilometers south of Berlin. 

“We now gain, for the first time, the capability for early warning and protection of our population and infrastructure against long-range ballistic missiles. With this strategic capability, unique among our European partners, we secure our central role at the heart of Europe,” Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told the DPA news site. 

“This way, we are protecting not only ourselves, but also our partners. We strengthen NATO’s European pillar and fulfil a NATO planning objective,” he said. 

The Arrow 3 system has proven highly efficient in Israel, helping shoot down hundreds of ballistic missiles from Iran and Yemen over the past two years. It was developed by Israel and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and declared operational in 2017. 

European countries have shown interest in Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems in recent years, due to their efficiency and ability to protect against possible missiles from Russia. 

Finland bought the David’s Sling air defense system from Israel in 2023 for $368 million. Denmark has also shown interest in Israel’s systems, but the government has yet to decide which country to buy from. 

Greece is expected to close a deal worth $3.5 billion to buy three Israeli air defense systems: Rafael’s SPYDER system, Barak MX, and David’s Sling. 

“As a result of conflicts around the world and growing threats, the procurement of air defense systems is on the rise,” the CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, Boaz Levy, told Globes, an Israeli news site. 

“The Greeks know what they are getting, and it’s not for nothing that they’re talking about the Barak MX, because it can be used against aircraft, missiles, and ballistic missiles. This is a system that has been deployed operationally; whoever buys knows what they are buying.”

“Interest in the system is not confined to Greece,” he added. 

In July this year, Romania’s minister of national defense, Ionut Mosteanu, announced that his country would buy Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. 

“These are defensive missile batteries that we don’t have and we need them,” he told the Romanian state television channel TVR.

“When we see pictures of Tel Aviv when the Iranians attack, and see the Iron Dome in action – this is a short-range defense system, and it protects Tel Aviv. It will also protect us, whether it’s airports, military bases or, God forbid, in the event that we have to defend our cities,” he said.