When asked whether Germany aimed to procure a missile defence system with a longer range than its existing Patriot batteries, Scholz said: “We need to be aware that we have a neighbour who is prepared to use violence to enforce their interests”.

The Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported earlier a missile defence shield for the whole territory of Germany was one of the topics discussed when Scholz met with Eberhard Zorn, Germany’s chief of defence.

Specifically, they spoke about a possible acquisition of the Israeli “Arrow 3” system, the paper said.

The defence ministry declined to comment on the report. Israel’s defence ministry had no immediate comment.

Andreas Schwarz, a member of parliament for Scholz’ Social Democrats who is a budget spokesperson, told the newspaper such a system made sense.

“We must protect ourselves better against the threat from Russia. For this, we need a Germany-wide missile defence shield quickly,” he told the newspaper, adding: “The Israeli Arrow 3 system is a good solution.”

If a rocket attack is uncovered, an Arrow 3 would be sent up to intercept the missile in space, destroying it there. This would be a new capability for Germany’s defence forces.

It has nothing to do with the Israeli missile defence shield dubbed “Iron Dome,” which is designed for lower-flying short-range missiles. For defence against short-range missiles, the Bundeswehr has the Patriot system, but only 12 units.

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For a new system, a corresponding radar system would be installed in three sites in Germany, and their monitoring data then transmitted to a central site where soldiers would be watching for threats 24/7.

The radar system is so powerful it can provide cover for Poland, Romania and the Baltic nations, said Bild.

“Israel produces such a system and it makes sense to not only look into different scenarios but also to potentially buy it as soon as possible,” Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the head of parliament’s defence committee, told Welt television.

After years of under-investment in defence, Germany has announced a dramatic U-turn, shaken by Russia’s assault on its neighbour.

Scholz on February 27 in a landmark speech said Germany would earmark a special budget of €100 billion to bolster its defence capabilities.

He also said Berlin would spend more than two per cent of its output a year on defence, outstripping Nato’s target of two per cent which Germany has consistently failed to meet.

This month, Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht said Germany will purchase Lockheed Martin F-35 warplanes to replace older Tornado fighter-bombers.

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The goal is to replace the Tornado fleet by 2030, Lambrecht said, though she didn’t say how many of the US$100 million-plus F-35s Germany planned to purchase.

Germany had been weighing a choice between the F-35 and Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet for its “nuclear sharing” role, in which Nato members without arsenals of their own share in the planning and potential use of such weapons.

The military had always preferred the F-35 for the nuclear role, because it is newer and has greater stealth capability. But as a relatively new aircraft it was also seen as a threat to the viability of the future German-French New Generation Fighter.

Nuclear share countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy have all opted for the F-35.

Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg, dpa