Israel orders more Arrow 3 missiles, rushes Arrow 4 to meet hypersonic threats

Defence affairs - C TECH

Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram has signed a new order with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for a large-scale procurement of Arrow 3 missiles, which are designed to intercept ballistic missiles. 

While the Defense Ministry did not disclose the exact scope of the deal, it described the order as covering a “significant quantity” of missiles.

This move comes amid ongoing tensions between the Defense Ministry and the Finance Ministry over funding for defense procurement and the IDF’s force build-up in preparation for a potential future war with Iran. The Defense Ministry has accused the Finance Ministry of refusing to approve critical defense deals, including additional Arrow 3 acquisitions.

Arrow 3 missiles played a central role in Israel’s defense against hundreds of ballistic missiles launched by Iran during the recent 12-Day War, in which the Israeli Air Force attacked the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities and weapons industries.

This latest order follows another large order the Defense Ministry placed with IAI at the end of last year, worth several billion shekels. The price of a single Arrow 3 missile is estimated at $2–3 million.

Arrow 3 missiles are built to intercept ballistic threats outside Earth’s atmosphere. They are manufactured at IAI’s facilities, with engines produced by the government-owned Tomer company. Daniel Gold, head of the Israeli Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), commented on the new deal: “The fighting in recent years has highlighted the need for a significant increase in production capacity, and advanced production technologies allow us to do this efficiently.”