The German Air Force Commander arrived in Israel and receives the first parts of the Arrow 3 system
German Air Force Commander Ingo Gerhartz made an official visit to Israel this week, during which he received the first parts of the Arrow 3 air defense missile system.
“The commander of the German Air Force, Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz, arrived in Israel this week on an official visit to mark the end of his seven-year term,” the Israeli military said in a statement on Sunday.
During the visit, Gerhartz toured settlements adjacent to the Gaza Strip, visited Israeli security industries, and met with Israeli Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar.
The Israeli army added, “General Gerhartz’s farewell visit highlights his commitment to the ongoing operational, technological, and strategic cooperation between Germany and Israel”.
For its part, the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that during his visit, the German Air Force Commander received the first parts of the Arrow 3 air defense system (the central communications component of the system), which Germany purchased from Israel.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation added, “The system will allow Germany to destroy missiles outside the atmosphere”.
In 2025, the German Air Force intends to declare the initial operational readiness of the Israeli missile system, which aims to fill a gap in missile defense capabilities.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation continued, “The Arrow system will enable Germany to destroy incoming missiles at altitudes of up to 100 kilometers, outside the atmosphere and in the near-space layer, as this upper-level interception capability wasn’t available to the Germans until now”.
“With the Arrow 3 missile, Germany is purchasing an Israeli weapons system that will help protect Germany from air threats,” Gerhartz said.
Gerhartz is expected to end his command of the German Air Force in the coming weeks and move to a senior position within NATO, where he will be commander of NATO’s headquarters in Brunssum, the Netherlands, one of the alliance’s two operational headquarters in Europe.
