Israel ramps up Arrow interceptor production amid reports of depleted stockpile

Israel has approved plans to dramatically accelerate the production of Arrow interceptor missiles, the Defense Ministry announced Monday.

According to the ministry, the agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries, “will enable a substantial increase in the production rate and quantity of Arrow interceptors.”

Israel’s Arrow 3 missile defense is currently its most advanced long-range defense system, meant to intercept ballistic missiles — like the type fired from Iran — while they are still outside the Earth’s atmosphere.

A single Arrow 3 missile has an estimated price of $2-3 million and takes a few months to produce, although the exact time frame has not been made public by Israel due to security concerns.

Foreign reports throughout the war have indicated that Israel is rationing its interceptors.

Defense Minister Israel Katz was the latest official to deflect the reports, denying on Monday that Israel is running low.

“Israel has sufficient interceptors to protect its citizens, and the current move is intended to ensure continued operational freedom and the necessary endurance,” he said in the Defense Ministry statement. “The Ayatollah regime should know: Israel is strong and resilient, prepared to continue the campaign as long as necessary, and continues to enhance its defensive and offensive capabilities during combat.”

The agreement follows a December 2025 deal worth billions of shekels that the Defense Ministry signed with IAI for the defense firm to expand its production of Arrow 3 interceptor missiles.

The accelerated production program is being led by Moshe Patel, head of the Homa Missile Defense Administration in the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT).

The Defense Ministry stressed that the US Missile Defense Agency “is a key partner of the Homa Administration in the development and production of Israel’s multi-layered air defense array, which includes the Arrow, David’s Sling, and Iron Dome systems. The strategic cooperation between Israel and the United States helps ensure Israel’s technological advantage in air defense.”

Read more: Amid claims of looming interceptor shortage, experts dismiss alarm over finite defenses

Israel has a multi-layered air defense array, with a variety of systems intercepting threats at different altitudes.

The top tier consists of the anti-ballistic missile Arrow systems, with Arrow 2 operating both within the Earth’s atmosphere and in space, and Arrow 3 intercepting above the Earth’s atmosphere.

Israel and the US launched a campaign against Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize the regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile capacities.

Iran has responded with missile attacks and drone strikes across the region.

More than 500 ballistic missiles have been launched from Iran at Israel since the start of the war.

In all, at least 14 missiles carrying conventional warheads with hundreds of kilograms of explosives have struck populated areas in Israel, causing extensive damage. There have also been more than 30 incidents of missiles carrying cluster bomb warheads hitting populated areas, with over 200 separate impact sites.