BERLIN

The German parliament has approved advance payments for the purchase of an Arrow-3 missile defense system from Israel, authorities said on Wednesday. 

The parliament's budget committee has approved today the first step in the procurement of Arrow-3 missile system and ammunition, German Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

According to the ministry, the committee has also approved today the purchase of IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems, which are manufactured by the German company Diehl Defence.

The multi-billion procurements come after the German government decided to set up a €100 billion ($108.6 billion) special fund to boost the country's military strength, after Russia's military attack on Ukraine.

The planned purchase of the Arrow-3 missile defense system from Israel will cost around €4 billion ($4.3 billion), the German news agency DPA reported.

The system is designed to intercept and destroy longer-range missiles, especially those carrying weapons of mass destruction, according to its manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries.

The parliament's budget committee has approved an advance payment of €560 million ($608 million) to ensure that the Arrow-3 missile defense system could be delivered in 2025, according to local media reports.

The German army will also purchase six IRIS-T SLM air defense systems, which are currently used in Ukraine to protect its big cities from Russian air strikes.

This procurement is expected to cost around €1 billion ($1.1 billion).