14 NATO members and Finland agreed to strengthen European air defense

Defense ministers from 14 NATO members and Finland met in Brussels today (October 13, 2022) to sign a Letter of Intent for the development of the European Sky Shield initiative.

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Spearheaded by Germany, the initiative aims to create a European air and missile defence system through the common acquisition of air defence equipment and missiles by European nations. This will strengthen NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence.

“This commitment is even more crucial today, as we witness the ruthless and indiscriminate missile attacks by Russia in Ukraine, killing civilians and destroying critical infrastructure. In this context, I strongly welcome Germany’s leadership in launching the European Sky Shield Initiative,” said NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană. He added: “The new assets, fully interoperable and seamlessly integrated within the NATO air and missile defence, would significantly enhance our ability to defend the Alliance from all air and missile threats.”

The initiative will allow all participating nations to jointly develop an air defence system using interoperable, off-the-shelf solutions. This multinational and multifaceted approach offers a flexible and scalable way for nations to strengthen their deterrence and defence in an efficient and cost-effective way.

Germany would propose the Arrow 3

Germany recently selected the Arrow 3 anti-ballistic system produced by the Israeli firm IAI over Lockheed Martin’s THAAD to shield Germany from Russian ballistic missiles.

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See also: Germany chooses Israeli Arrow 3 system for ballistic protection

But German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reportedly pointed out on more than one occasion that the German missile shield can also protect its European NATO allies: «At the same time, Germany will design this future air defense from the outset in such a way that our European neighbors can participate if they wish,» he said, listing allies such as Poland, the three Baltic countries, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Nordic countries.