Germany again in 2023 signed a contract with Israeli firm Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for supplying Arrow 3 missile protection programs price $3.5 billion. Already on December 1, 2026, at an airbase close to Annaburg metropolis in Saxony-Anhalt, the system was deployed and reached preliminary fight readiness.
Nonetheless, it turned out that two days earlier than official deployment, three unknown drones flew over this method. Furthermore, Defense Romania famous that they flew at roughly 100 meters altitude straight over the radar station from Arrow 3 composition.
Learn extra: Estonia’s Tiny Mark I Anti-Drone Missile, Developed for Ukraine, to Receive Naval Launch System
A fast response unit rapidly moved to the scene, deployed its personal drone, and managed to determine visible contact with the intruder drone. After this, army tried to intercept it.
G27P assault rifles have been used for this, geared up with Israeli Smash X4 good sights, which have recently been actively promoted as a anti-drone solution. Nonetheless, they didn’t shoot down the unmanned plane, which then disappeared from the scene.
Later, German counterintelligence and army police categorised this incident as an act of deliberate espionage. Defense Express provides that regardless of all significance of this method which, in addition to costing over $3.5 billion, is almost Europe’s solely protection in opposition to russian Oreshnik and intercontinental ballistic missiles Germany could not defend it from three drones flying straight over it.
Though multi-layered air protection is at all times constructed round such objects. However now allowance will be made that this method was simply put into operation, and such protection merely wasn’t constructed but.
Evidently, russians are primarily on this system, who in all probability stand behind these mysterious unmanned plane actively flying Europe in recent times, together with over strategic objects. If anti-drone protection is not strengthened sooner or later, or is insufficiently strengthened, then in case of warfare between russia and Europe, these programs will probably be destroyed nearly first. Furthermore, this is not going to require some fashionable costly missiles, however solely a number of drones.
The radar station in Arrow 3 is stationary. That’s, its coordinates are already recognized upfront, and transferring it to a different location from below strike is solely not possible. Subsequently, defending such an object have to be extraordinarily dense and able to counter each cruise missiles and strike unmanned plane and even small FPV drones, to keep away from repeating the scenario with SSU Spider Net operation.
As a reminder, regardless of first deployment in 2025, Arrow 3 system will obtain full fight readiness in Germany solely in 2030. Additionally recall that Germany plans to deploy local production of Arrow 3 interceptor missiles and additionally purchase more such systems for 3 billion euros.
Learn extra: France Adds Anti-Drone Kit to 800 RCWSs, But Tests Hit Slow Targets, Not 100km/h FPVs
