Germany has launched a project to build a better European air defense system with more than a dozen other countries.
Germany has launched a project to build a better European air defense system with more than a dozen other countries. On Thursday, on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels, Federal Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht and colleagues signed a declaration on the so-called European Sky Shield Initiative.
This should help to close existing gaps in the current protective shield for Europe. There are deficits, for example, in the area of ​​ballistic missiles, which reach great heights on their trajectory, but also in the defense against drones and cruise missiles.
The background to the German initiative is the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. According to NATO, it has fundamentally changed the security situation in Europe and is therefore making additional efforts in air defense necessary. So far, missile defense in Europe has primarily been aimed at possible threats from Iran.
According to Lambrecht, 14 other countries have been involved in the project in addition to Germany. Representatives from the UK, Slovakia, Norway, Latvia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovenia attended the signing ceremony on Thursday morning. According to diplomats, Estonia also wants to take part.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the plans for the new initiative at the end of August. He spoke of a “security gain for all of Europe” and argued that European air defense would be cheaper and more efficient than if everyone built their own, expensive and highly complex air defense.
Among other things, new weapon systems are now to be jointly purchased via the European Skyshield Initiative, which together will then cover a large area as cheaply as possible.