BERLIN: German parliamentarians on Wednesday adopted an advance payment to buy the sophisticated Arrow 3 air defense system from Israel for about 4 billion euros. AFP reported that the budget committee in the lower house of the German parliament gave the green signal for an initial payment of 560 million euros.
German parliamentarians approve funds to purchase air defense system from Israel
The budget committee also passed about 950 million euros to buy 6 German-made Iris-T SLM air defense systems, the source maintained. AFP claimed that the Arrow 3 air defense system is likely to cost about 3.99 billion euros.
The money will be allocated from a 100-billion-euro fund revealed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to boost the country’s defense in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
If the agreement goes ahead as planned, a contract will be inked by the end of 2023, and Germany expects the air defense system to be provided in the last quarter of 2025.
Committee member Karsten Klein told AFP that the release of the money would help ensure Berlin is “equipped with up-to-date air defense systems.” He said that the Iris-T system had also “proven its reliability in Kyiv”.
Berlin has led a push to boost NATO’s air defenses across Europe following seeing Moscow’s relentless missile attacks on Ukraine, asking allies to purchase deterrence systems together.
AFP reported that several European nations have so far inked to the so-called European Sky Shield Initiative.
