Defense news
NUREMBERG, Germany — Germany’s first long-range missile shield will enter service in an initial configuration on Wednesday, based roughly 40 miles south of the capital, Berlin, German media reported today.
The declaration of initial operational capability is expected to draw top defense officials to the interceptor host airbase of Fliegerhorst Holzdorf/Schönewalde, which straddles the states of Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt, on Dec. 3, newspaper Tagesspiegel reported on its website.
A German Air Force spokesperson declined to confirm the pending deployment when asked by Defense News, citing a policy of not commenting on future events.
The government in 2023 decided to buy a total of three batteries of the Israeli-American Arrow 3 system as one of the most significant defense procurements following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Berlin’s subsequent rearmament. Every battery contains four launchers, which are each in turn loaded with six fire-ready missiles.
