Israel ramps up Arrow interceptor production amid reports of depleted stockpile

Israel approves plan to dramatically accelerate the production of Arrow interceptor missiles, the Defense Ministry announces.

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 Arrow interceptors.

Defense Minister Israel Katz denies 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 says 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.”

In December 2025, the Defense Ministry signed a separate deal worth billions of shekels 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 Administration in the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (MAFAT).

The Defense Ministry stresses 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.”