The Arrow and I: Signing the Sales Deal Is a Personal and Professional Closing of the Circle for Me
Maariv, Israel, September 28
There are moments in life when personal, professional, and national emotions come together in a state of immense euphoria and profundity. The signing of the contract to sell Israel’s leading missile defense system, the Arrow 3, to Germany is one of those moments. For the past three decades, I have had the privilege to work with my partners to protect the security of the State of Israel from the threat of ballistic missiles. It began with a call from then-US President Ronald Reagan to address this threat. Israel Aircraft Industries [later renamed Israel Aerospace Industries] provided a unique and innovative concept despite criticism that this was physically impossible: We ran a successful experiment in the Mediterranean Sea with an Arrow 1. The results of this trial justified our approach and the Gulf War made us realize the importance of our endeavors. Consequently, we formed the “Homa” directorate under the direction of Israel Aerospace Industries and launched the Arrow 2 program. I had the honor of leading the Arrow program in the final experiments that were conducted simultaneously with the production of the Arrow 2 interceptors; a risk that ultimately paid off when the system achieved initial operationalization in 2000. A few years later, I was invited to the German Bundestag to speak before its Defense Committee and had the chance to profoundly reflect on my personal journey as the son of a Holocaust survivor. The standing ovation I received at the conclusion of my remarks was yet another testament to the close and warm alliance that now exists between Israel and Germany. It also provided personal closure for me. I recall the early days of the Arrow 3 program. We received crucial information that Iran was developing new ballistic capabilities that could significantly shift the balance of power, and we had to quickly work on a solution. Thus, the Arrow 3 was born and tested successfully in Alaska in 2019. Its superiority was eventually recognized in Germany and Israel had the honor of selling it to our ally and friend. Now, the long-awaited moment has arrived, with the signing ceremony in Berlin. Top figures in the Israeli defense establishment, led by the minister of defense and the CEO, have gathered to sign a historic agreement to supply the Arrow 3 system to Germany. This advanced defensive system is an answer to the threat of ballistic missiles, which Germany infamously introduced into the world during World War II when they invented the V2 missile. This circle has now been closed, and thanks to the capabilities of Israel’s defense industries, we are able to provide our ally and friend with the protection they need. It is a tremendously significant moment for Israel and Germany alike, oftentimes too difficult to properly express. —Boaz Levi (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
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