Germany: Purchase of a missile defense system from Israel or the USA

The possibility of buying a missile defense system from Israel or the USA Germany appears to be looking to defend itself against threats such as the Russian Iskander missiles deployed in Kaliningrad, according to a report in the German weekly Welt am Sonntag today.

Iskander missiles can hit almost all of western Europe and there is no missile shield installed to protect against this threat, German Armed Forces Inspector General Eberhard Tsorn told the newspaper in an interview published today.

“Israelis and Americans have such systems. Which do we prefer? Will we be able to install a comprehensive (missile defense) system in NATO? These are questions we need to answer now. “said Chorn.

He did not name the systems, but did refer to Arrow 3, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and Raytheon-built American THAAD system.

Russia announced in 2018 that it had deployed Iskander missiles in its enclave of Kaliningrad, a piece of Russian territory sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania. Iskander, a mobile ballistic missile system, has replaced the Soviet Scud missiles, and its two remote-controlled missiles can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads.

In a landmark speech a few days after it started Russian invasion of Ukraine On February 24, German Chancellor Olaf Soltz said Berlin would increase its defense spending to more than 2% of GDP by channeling 100 billion euros into the armed forces.

Chorn belongs to a group of high-ranking officials who are consulting with Soltz on how the money will be spent.

“So far, only one thing is clear: we have neither the time nor the money to develop our own (missile defense) systems because the missile threat is known to already exist.”said Chorn.

Referring to the fact that the Germany does not have a short-range missile defense that can be used to protect troops on the move or under threat during their deployment, he said, adding that Berlin has begun to consider purchasing such systems and must now make a decision.

In addition, the German armed forces must invest 20 billion euros by 2032 to replenish their ammunition depots, Chorn added.

Source: News Beast

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