Germany’s newest missile defense system, Arrow 3 - on which Berlin and its allies had pinned key hopes against ballistic threats - is not prepared to intercept Russia’s hypersonic Oreshnik missile, according to Die Welt.
Analyzing Russia’s recent strike on targets in western Ukraine, the German outlet, citing NATO sources, described the attack as the first “indirect clash” between a modern Western missile defense system and a new Russian weapon.
Although Arrow 3 was developed specifically to counter medium- and long-range missiles, it showed limited capability in a real-world scenario, the report said.
Die Welt notes that the Bundeswehr recently declared Arrow 3 operational. In Germany, the system is designated the Arrow Weapon System for Germany (AWS-G) and is viewed as a core pillar of a national and pan-European missile shield. Germany’s defense ministry has emphasized that the primary threat to the country comes from long-range Russian ballistic missiles, including “Oreshnik.”
The Arrow 3 interceptor is a two-stage, solid-fuel system designed to destroy targets outside the atmosphere with a hit-to-kill approach. In brief: unlike earlier air defenses such as Patriot, Arrow 3 is intended to intercept missiles long before they reach their targets — in space, at altitudes above 100 kilometers.
However, Die Welt reports that Arrow 3 is still in the early phase of deployment. The first battery, based at an airfield in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, likely detected the launch but lacked the ability to affect the missile’s trajectory at speeds exceeding 12,000 km/h.
NATO sources told the outlet that the system is not yet fully combat-ready, and that Patriot is not technically designed to counter hypersonic missiles. Berlin is particularly concerned about the “Oreshnik’s” range - up to 5,500 km - which could potentially put almost all of Europe within reach.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the “Oreshnik” strike was carried out in response to the alleged shelling of President Vladimir Putin’s residence on December 29.
In October 2025, the Pentagon protested the film “House of Dynamite,” which depicts a $50 billion U.S. missile defense system failing to intercept an unidentified intercontinental ballistic missile.
