Germany’s newly deployed Arrow-3 missile defense system is not yet capable of intercepting the Oreshnik missile, reports Die Welt.
The newspaper views the recent strike on the Lviv region as the first indirect encounter between this type of weapon and Arrow-3, which has only recently been placed on operational duty in Germany.
On the Bundeswehr’s website, the system is described as being designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere. With a stated range of up to 5,500 km, Oreshnik is theoretically capable of reaching almost any point in Europe.
At the same time, Arrow-3 in Germany remains at an early stage of operational use. The first battery has been deployed at an air base in the state of Saxony-Anhalt and, in all likelihood, was only able to detect the launch at an early phase, Die Welt notes.
NATO sources told the newspaper that the system has not yet reached full operational readiness. In theory, the Patriot system could be used for interception, but it is not designed to counter hypersonic missiles.