Germany and Israel sign joint declaration of intent on Arrow

Germany and Israel signed a joint declaration of intent on 28 September on the procurement of the Arrow Weapon System for the Luftwaffe. (IAI)

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, signed a joint declaration of intent in Berlin on 28 September on Germany’s procurement of the Arrow Weapon System (AWS) for the Luftwaffe.

Pistorius said afterwards in a joint press conference with Gallant that “the Arrow system will prepare German air defence for the future”, with the system defending Germany from ballistic missiles. He added that the system would be part of NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence, offering Germany’s neighbours protection.

Pistorius described the signing of the joint declaration of intent with Israel as a first step in the procurement of the AWS, which together with the approval by the budget committee of the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, in June would allow the system to begin to be used starting by the end of 2025. The first system elements will be available to the Luftwaffe in 2025, with the initial operational capability planned by the fourth quarter of that year, according to the German Ministry of Defence (MoD).