A Defense Ministry statement from late 2024 said that a “professional meeting was held at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), led by the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO) at the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D) of the IMOD (Israel Defense Ministry).” It added that “The meeting included two days of discussions with participation from Israeli defense industries, including IAI, Elbit Systems, and MBDA Deutschland GmbH,” in preparation for deploying the Arrow 3 before the end of 2025.
According to the report, IMDO Director Mr. Moshe Patel, “Arrow 3” Project Head for Germany Colonel Carsten Koepper, and IAI’s Missiles and Space Division Head Mr. Guy Bar Lev were the lead figures in the talks. Representatives from IAI’s MLM Division and Elta also took part as part of the wider work to finalise operational planning.
The ministry said in 2024 that the Arrow system, which includes the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 interceptors, was developed jointly by Israel and the United States to counter long-range ballistic missile threats, with IAI serving as prime contractor. It noted that although Germany signed the acquisition in 2023, confidence in the system grew after its performance in 2024 and again in 2025.
On April 13 and 14, the Arrow played a central role in shooting down most of the 120 ballistic missiles fired by Iran at Israel. During the 1 October attack, the Arrow intercepted a lower percentage of the 180 Iranian missiles launched, although some dozens hit the Nevatim and Tel Nof air force bases; reports suggested Israel may have decided to “allow” certain missiles through after evacuating aircraft and pilots. Both bases suffered significant damage, but the Israeli military confirmed that no pilots or aircraft were lost.
The Arrow system again shot down a high percentage of Iranian missiles during the 12-day war in June, when Iran fired 550 missiles at Israel. Although 28 Israelis were killed and more were wounded, the ministry assessed that physical and economic damage remained comparatively limited given the scale of the attack.
In its 2024 update, the ministry said that “The IMDO at the DDR&D continues to lead the development and production of Israel’s aerial defense layers while strengthening ties and cooperation with international partners in missile defense and supporting Israeli defense industries.” The final contract for the Arrow 3 sale was signed in November 2023, completing years of negotiations involving Israel, Germany and the United States, which was required to approve the export as a co-developer of the system.
By September 2023, the deal appeared close to completion after Defence Minister Yoav Gallant travelled to Germany to sign key documents that advanced the process. In November of that year, the ministry said, “The Arrow 3 missile defense system constitutes the forefront of global technology, designed to intercept exo-atmospheric ballistic missiles.” It added that “the Arrow 3 system also carried out its first operational interception during the Swords of Iron war [Israel-Hamas War], successfully destroying a target launched towards Israel in the Red Sea region.”
That statement referred to repeated Arrow interceptions of ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthis at Israel under Iranian direction during the broader conflict with Hamas. The Arrow 3 system is co-developed and co-produced by the IMDO and the United States Missile Defense Agency, with IAI responsible for the interceptor and radar systems and Elbit Systems developing command and control. Tomer and Rafael Advanced Systems serve as the main subcontractors for the Arrow 3 interceptor.
Source: Jerusalem Post.
