Arrow 2/3 ATBM

The Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 are advanced anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems designed to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles at various altitudes. Developed by Israel with US assistance, they form a crucial part of Israel's multi-layered air defense architecture.

Jointly funded by the United States and Israel starting in 1986 under the Strategic Defense Initiative, the Arrow program was accelerated following Iraqi Scud missile attacks during the 1991 Gulf War. The Arrow 2 system officially entered service in 2000, followed by the high-altitude Arrow 3 in 2017 to provide a multi-tiered defense against long-range threats. The system achieved its first combat intercept in 2017 and later demonstrated historic operational success during the 2023–2024 conflicts by successfully neutralizing exo-atmospheric ballistic missiles launched from Yemen and Iran. Currently, the Arrow system is being exported internationally, highlighted by Germany's landmark 2023 agreement to purchase the Arrow 3 to bolster European air defense.