Oliver Towfigh Nia
07 January 2026•Update: 07 January 2026
BERLIN
Drones were sighted over the Arrow 3 missile defense system in the eastern German town of Holzdorf only two days before its inauguration on Dec. 3, according to media reports.
According to an internal investigation, the German Armed Forces detected three suspicious drones of an “unknown type” at around 4.40 pm on Dec. 1. They are said to have been circling at an altitude of around 100 meters above the weapon system's radar installation.
Subsequently, approval was given to shoot down the drones. According to the report, a G27P assault rifle with special Smash X4 targeting optics, developed in Israel specifically for drone combat, was used. However, the attempt failed.
The military document does not speculate about possible suspects. Military police and the Military Counter-Intelligence Service (MAD) were informed, and a criminal complaint was filed with the police.
A spokesperson for the German Armed Forces Operational Command confirmed the incident in writing to public broadcasters WDR and NDR: “On December 1, 2025, a drone overflight was detected at the ‘Annaburg radar station’ property.” For reasons of military security, no precise details could be given regarding the number of drones.
The incident is of particular significance to the military. According to a German Armed Forces report, this is the second suspicious drone flight over the “Arrow” radar facility in Holzdorf.
Since several drones were in operation on Dec. 1 and the Arrow 3 is a sensitive, high-value weapon system, “intentional espionage is likely,” according to the assessment.
The Arrow 3 system, which only Israel and the US possess besides Germany, is designed to destroy incoming missiles at high altitudes – even outside the Earth's atmosphere. Intercontinental missiles from Russia are also among the possible targets.
The system, which was procured in Israel, is reportedly a response to the threat posed by Russia.
The Schonewalde/Holzdorf air base, located south of Berlin, is the first of three planned Arrow locations.
Germany is the first country outside Israel to deploy the system under a €3.6 billion ($4.2 billion) defense agreement.
After the end of the Cold War, European countries scaled back their defense of military and civilian targets against air attacks and then neglected them for a long time. NATO planning circles have recently stated that defense capabilities against air attacks would need to be increased by 400%.
The German government is now investing more heavily in air defense. Germany has also launched an initiative for a European air defense system (European Sky Shield Initiative/ESSI), and 23 partner countries have joined the project.
