Israel’s top air defense is getting a more intense workout than its missile chief ever imagined
When Israel’s top air defense system first came online more than two decades ago, the idea that it might one day be used to battle hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles seemed far-fetched to some.
“I can tell you that I didn’t imagine that we would use Arrow as much as we [did] during the last three years, but this is our life,” said Moshe Patel, the director and general manager of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization.
Arrow is a surface-to-air ballistic missile defense system that makes up the top layer of Israel’s air defense network.
The country has two interceptors in service. Arrow 2, deployed in 2000, can eliminate missiles in the upper atmosphere, while Arrow 3, deployed in 2017, can eliminate them in space. It is one of the few air defenses in the world capable of doing so.
Israel is also developing next-generation Arrow 4 and 5 interceptors.
The system, a joint development from the state-run Israel Aerospace Industries and American defense contractor Boeing, has been used extensively over the past three years, mainly in four major rounds of fighting with Iran.
Arrow has battled hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles, and the defensive system has been credited with an interception rate of over 90% during the two most recent clashes in June 2025 and this spring.
Israel is “very satisfied with the performance of the Arrow 3,” Patel said in a recent interview. He called it the “most advanced and capable system” globally, particularly in interceptions in outer space.
While Israel has faced a heavy Iranian missile fire, officials have denied reports that the country is low on interceptors.
The Israeli Defense Ministry has, however, announced plans to accelerate production of Arrow interceptors. The effort comes amid broader global efforts to boost stockpiles for ballistic missile defense.
Israel is expediting production with “imaginary numbers right now,” Patel said, though he declined to discuss specific numbers. “If I even tried to think about it three years ago, I would say that it is a full imagination.”
Arrow, like other Israeli-made systems, David’s Sling and Iron Beam, has received significant interest from other countries as they set out to strengthen their ballistic missile defenses, Patel said.
For European countries specifically, acquiring high-end air defenses has emerged as a priority investment following four years of Russian missile attacks against Ukraine.
Germany is the only foreign buyer of Arrow so far, and while Israel is fielding requests for information from other nations, arms sales will be discussed on a case-by-case basis, Patel said.
There is an added element of sensitivity, he said, because Arrow 3 is “one of the most strategic systems in Israel.”
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