Former IDF air defense chief notes Israeli Arrow protects German skies 80 years after Holocaust

The Israeli military’s former air defense chief, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ran Kochav, spoke to The Jerusalem Post about Israel’s cutting-edge Arrow 3 aerial defense system and its role in protecting German skies nearly 80 years after the Holocaust.

“Less than 80 years after Luftwaffe planes terrorized Europe and destroyed our people, the Jewish state provides Germany with the umbrella that will protect its skies. This is the triumph of the Israeli spirit and resilience," Kochav stated.

The Arrow aerial defense system, which played a critical role in protecting Israel from ballistic missiles fired by Iran and the Houthis, has now been deployed to defend Germany against potential Russian missile threats.

“There is a profound significance in the fact that Germany...is choosing Israeli technology to protect its citizens. This stands as a testimony to the journey that both countries have taken and the mutual trust that has been built,” he assessed. 

“There are moments in history when reality surpasses all imagination. When the components of the Arrow 3 batteries were delivered to the German government, we witnessed one of these moments,” the former IDF aerial defense chief noted. 

Former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who is the son of a Holocaust survivor, expressed similar sentiments last year. 

“Since the establishment of our ties, Germany has contributed greatly to Israel’s security. Today, we are proud to do the same for Germany – a strategic ally and European leader,” he said. 

“Only 80 years since the end of the Second World War, yet Israel and Germany join hands today in building a safer future, for both nations,” he emphasized.

Germany and Israel have developed mutually beneficial, close diplomatic, commercial and security ties. 

In 2023, just one year after Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany signaled interest in boosting its aerial defenses by acquiring the Israeli Arrow 3 defense system for €4 billion ($4.3 billion). Earlier this month, Germany became the first country outside Israel to deploy the Arrow 3 aerial defense system. 

Kochav recalled his role as the former head of the IDF aerial defense unit: “As someone who commanded this unit, and later the entire IDF system, I remember the long nights in the control stations, the enormous tension before a test, and the heavy sense of responsibility."

Israel currently possesses one of the world’s most advanced aerial defense systems. It was the Iraqi ballistic missiles fired at Israel during the 1991 Gulf War that prompted Israel to develop the advanced multilayered aerial defense system. 

“Back then, the mission was to defend Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem,” Kochav recalled. “Today, this technology, the fruit of the feverish minds of our best engineers, is being sent to defend Berlin."

Describing the Arrow system as “the pinnacle of technology,” Kochav explained that “the Arrow 3 is no longer a missile; it is a ‘suicide spacecraft.’ The ability to hit-to-kill iron-on-iron outside the atmosphere, in space, at hypersonic speeds, is science fiction that has become a reality thanks to Israeli engineers.”

Kochav stressed that Israel is uniquely positioned to share its defense experience and capabilities with Western allies that currently lack such capabilities.

“When the world looks at Israel in recent months, it will see not only brave warriors, but also a nation capable of producing groundbreaking engineering solutions and technology – unique solutions to problems that almost no one else knows how to solve.”