Iran's attack on Israel shocked the world. But the Iron Dome is said to have intercepted “99 percent” of the drones and missiles. The German acquisition plans are ongoing.
Tel Aviv/Berlin - While the Iranian military leadership announces the success of its attack on Israeli territory, Israeli officials celebrate the successful repelling of these attacks. According to Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari, “99 percent” of the missiles and drones fired at Israel were intercepted. Hagari said this in a television interview on Sunday. The Iranian attacks were therefore “thwarted”. Many people are currently asking the question: What is Israel's reaction to Iran's first direct attack? Netanyahu has already announced a “significant response”. German politicians such as Foreign Minister Baerbock (Greens) are concerned about the developments. The developments also raise the question of the protection of German national territory.
Attack against Israel: Germany is spending billions on Iron Dome – Arrow 3 should come on time
Current videos show the Iron Dome in Israel in action: One demonstrates how air defenses destroy rockets and drones over Jerusalem. After the outbreak of the Ukraine War, Germany decided to purchase the Iron Dome for Germany. “We must protect ourselves better from the threat from Russia. To do this, we quickly need a Germany-wide missile protection shield,” said the main rapporteur in the Defense Budget Committee, Andreas Schwarz (SPD), about the plans for a German Iron Dome. And further: “The Israeli Arrow 3 system is a good solution.” Despite the ongoing Gaza war, Israel says it plans to deliver the Israeli Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany on time.
The Arrow 3 is designed to intercept medium-range ballistic missiles and, according to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, offers “full protection” for Germany. Israel plans to deliver the first battery of this missile defense system to Germany by the end of 2025. The rest of the system, developed in collaboration with the US, is expected to be delivered by 2030.
The system includes both permanently installed and mobile elements. Israel and Germany are working together to plan the exact stationing of the individual components. The purchase agreement for the Israeli missile defense system was concluded at the end of last year, thus finalizing a takeover process worth around 3.3 billion euros, according to the Israeli army.
Iron Dome over Germany – missile protection shield “can only protect larger cities”
And how does the Germany-wide missile protection shield work? According to
Spiegel
, the Holzdorf air base on the border between Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg
has already been determined as the first location for Arrow 3 .
“Super Green Pine” missile radar systems have been set up at three other locations in Germany, which send their data to the national command post in Uedem. Air force soldiers would evaluate the situation there. In an emergency, an “Arrow 3” rocket would be fired from one of the launch devices distributed throughout Germany – in order to destroy the enemy’s rocket.
Not all experts are yet convinced of the effectiveness of the Iron Dome for Germany. For example, former NATO general Hans-Lothar Domröse recently told the
editorial network Germany
that a protective shield for the whole of Germany was hardly possible. “An Iron Dome like the one in Israel can only protect larger cities,” said the expert. This is conceivable for Berlin, Hamburg or Munich, for example. “But we cannot secure a large airspace with the expensive Iron Domes.” Most recently, Putin's propaganda show discussed an attack on Munich or Garmisch-Partenkirchen.