Arrow-3

Israel's upper-tier exoatmospheric ballistic-missile interceptor — a hit-to-kill weapon jointly developed with the U.S., combat-proven against Houthi and Iranian salvos, and now anchoring Germany's contribution to European Sky Shield.

Overview

The Arrow-3, also known as Hetz 3, is the top tier of Israel’s multi-layered air and missile defense stack, designed to intercept medium- and long-range ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere using a body-to-body hit-to-kill kill vehicle. Developed cooperatively by Israel and the United States and operational since 2017, Arrow-3 sits above Arrow-2, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome, and its German Arrow Weapon System (AWS-G) configuration has made it the first European-fielded exoatmospheric interceptor.

Development

Israel and the United States launched Arrow-3 development in August 2008 as the successor to Arrow-2, aiming for a full exoatmospheric intercept capability. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is the prime contractor, with Boeing producing 40–50% of interceptor content and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency contributing well over $1 billion across fiscal years 2008–2021, according to Wikipedia. The interceptor’s kill-vehicle concept — a solid-fuel motor with thrust-vectoring and a gimbaled seeker — was deliberately simpler and cheaper than liquid-divert designs; then-MDA director Lt. Gen. Patrick O’Reilly called it “more advanced than what we have ever attempted in the U.S.” The first fly-out test occurred in February 2013, and the first exoatmospheric intercept took place on 10 December 2015. Arrow-3 was declared operational on 18 January 2017.

Germany selected Arrow-3 under the European Sky Shield Initiative, with the Bundestag approving a €4 billion ($4.6 billion) purchase in June 2023 and U.S. approval following in August 2023. The first elements were handed over and the system achieved initial operational capability at Holzdorf Air Base on 3 December 2025, with delivery confirmed by Breaking Defense and The Times of Israel. An expansion package worth approximately €3 billion ($3.1 billion) was approved in December 2025, bringing the total program to more than $6.5 billion.

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