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Arrow 3
Drones over defense system – Bundeswehr misses the target
In December, high-ranking guests inspected a new missile defense system south of Berlin. However, unknown parties got there first.
Even before the official inauguration of the new Arrow 3 missile defense system in the Annaburg Heath at the end of last year, it had already been scouted. As reported by WDR and NDR, citing an internal Bundeswehr document, the armed forces detected three drones of an “unknown type” at around 4:40 p.m. on December 1, circling the radar installation at an altitude of roughly 100 meters.
The drones were initially discovered by a technical detection system. The Bundeswehr then activated the so-called Rapid Reaction Element of the Army. A mobile task force deployed its own reconnaissance drone and was able to visually identify one of the aircraft, according to the report.
According to the document, authorization was subsequently given to shoot down the drones. The Bundeswehr used a G27P assault rifle equipped with the special “Smash X4” targeting optic, which was developed specifically for drone defense. However, the attempt was unsuccessful. “The drone could not be neutralized by the deployed counter-drone measures,” the report states. The aircraft then moved away and disappeared from view.
The military police and the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) were informed of the incident, and the Bundeswehr also filed a report with the police. A spokesperson for the Operational Command confirmed the drone overflight in writing in response to an inquiry.
Suspicion of targeted reconnaissance
Within the Bundeswehr, the incident is considered particularly sensitive. According to the internal report, this was already the second suspicious drone overflight of the Arrow radar installation in Annaburg. Due to the number of drones and the importance of the system, “intentional reconnaissance is likely,” according to the assessment. A temporal connection with the inauguration of the facility two days later, attended by high-ranking guests, is also considered likely.
The Arrow 3 missile defense system is regarded as one of the most modern of its kind. It was developed jointly by Israel and the United States and is currently in use only in those two countries, and in the future also in Germany. The system is designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles at very high altitudes, in some cases even outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
In Israel, Arrow 3 has already been used several times, including to defend against Iranian missile attacks. In these cases, ballistic projectiles were destroyed in the early stages of space. Germany has procured the system for around 3.6 billion euros. In addition to the site in the Annaburg Heath in Saxony-Anhalt, two further installations are planned in Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria. Arrow 3 is expected to be fully operational in Germany by 2030.
Similar drone sightings had already occurred at the beginning of 2025 at the Bundeswehr site in Schwesing, Schleswig-Holstein, where Ukrainian soldiers were being trained on the Patriot system. There, too, defense attempts had been unsuccessful. An investigation was later discontinued, as no suspects could be identified.
Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, security authorities have recorded a sharply increasing number of suspicious drone flights over military facilities and critical infrastructure. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, more than 1,000 such incidents were recorded in 2025 alone. Security circles suspect the involvement of Russian entities. So far, there have been no arrests.
www.t-online.de
Drones over defense system – Bundeswehr misses the target
In December, high-ranking guests inspected a new missile defense system south of Berlin. However, unknown parties got there first.
Even before the official inauguration of the new Arrow 3 missile defense system in the Annaburg Heath at the end of last year, it had already been scouted. As reported by WDR and NDR, citing an internal Bundeswehr document, the armed forces detected three drones of an “unknown type” at around 4:40 p.m. on December 1, circling the radar installation at an altitude of roughly 100 meters.
The drones were initially discovered by a technical detection system. The Bundeswehr then activated the so-called Rapid Reaction Element of the Army. A mobile task force deployed its own reconnaissance drone and was able to visually identify one of the aircraft, according to the report.
According to the document, authorization was subsequently given to shoot down the drones. The Bundeswehr used a G27P assault rifle equipped with the special “Smash X4” targeting optic, which was developed specifically for drone defense. However, the attempt was unsuccessful. “The drone could not be neutralized by the deployed counter-drone measures,” the report states. The aircraft then moved away and disappeared from view.
The military police and the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) were informed of the incident, and the Bundeswehr also filed a report with the police. A spokesperson for the Operational Command confirmed the drone overflight in writing in response to an inquiry.
Suspicion of targeted reconnaissance
Within the Bundeswehr, the incident is considered particularly sensitive. According to the internal report, this was already the second suspicious drone overflight of the Arrow radar installation in Annaburg. Due to the number of drones and the importance of the system, “intentional reconnaissance is likely,” according to the assessment. A temporal connection with the inauguration of the facility two days later, attended by high-ranking guests, is also considered likely.
The Arrow 3 missile defense system is regarded as one of the most modern of its kind. It was developed jointly by Israel and the United States and is currently in use only in those two countries, and in the future also in Germany. The system is designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles at very high altitudes, in some cases even outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
In Israel, Arrow 3 has already been used several times, including to defend against Iranian missile attacks. In these cases, ballistic projectiles were destroyed in the early stages of space. Germany has procured the system for around 3.6 billion euros. In addition to the site in the Annaburg Heath in Saxony-Anhalt, two further installations are planned in Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria. Arrow 3 is expected to be fully operational in Germany by 2030.
Similar drone sightings had already occurred at the beginning of 2025 at the Bundeswehr site in Schwesing, Schleswig-Holstein, where Ukrainian soldiers were being trained on the Patriot system. There, too, defense attempts had been unsuccessful. An investigation was later discontinued, as no suspects could be identified.
Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, security authorities have recorded a sharply increasing number of suspicious drone flights over military facilities and critical infrastructure. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, more than 1,000 such incidents were recorded in 2025 alone. Security circles suspect the involvement of Russian entities. So far, there have been no arrests.
Drohnen spähen neues Raketenabwehrsystem Arrow 3 aus - Bundeswehr schießt daneben
Im Dezember begutachteten hochrangige Gäste ein neues Raketenabwehrsystem südlich von Berlin. Unbekannte kamen ihnen jedoch zuvor.
www.t-online.de
