Berlin, 25 November 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, announced it is taking the first step towards deploying the new Arrow 3 missile defence system.

Inspector General Carsten Breuer and Air Force Inspector Lieutenant General Holger Neumann will declare the system's initial operational capability on December 3 at the Holzdorf air base in Schönewalde, the Air Force said.

The system will give Germany, for the first time, the ability to detect and intercept incoming ballistic missiles outside the Earth's atmosphere. The acquisition of the Israeli-made Arrow system is part of Germany's response to the threat posed by Russia.

Arrow is designed to fill a critical gap in missile defence. The system can destroy incoming rockets at altitudes of more than 100 kilometres, effectively neutralizing threats in the upper atmosphere and near-space – a capability not previously available.

Germany is increasing investments in air defence. The government has launched the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) to develop a continental missile defence network, a response to Russia's war in Ukraine.

The Holzdorf base, located south of Berlin near the borders of the German states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony, is the first of three planned Arrow sites in Germany.

Photo: epa