Overview
- The Luftwaffe declared Initial Operational Capability at Schönewalde/Holzdorf, placing radar, launchers and trained crews into limited protection duty.
- It is the first Arrow 3 deployment outside Israel, providing early warning and the ability to intercept ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere at around 100 kilometers altitude.
- Funded from the special defense fund, procurement costs are reported at roughly €3.6–4 billion, with full multi‑site capability targeted toward the end of the decade.
- Holzdorf is being expanded into a major hub, slated to host about 47 of 60 CH‑47F Chinooks by 2027, grow personnel from roughly 2,000 to about 2,500–3,000, and receive significant military and regional infrastructure investment.
- The system will sit atop Germany’s layered air defense and feed the European Sky Shield Initiative, while domestic critics question costs, escalation risks and reliance on non‑European industry.