Alarmed by Russia’s ability to unleash sustained barrages of long-distance missile strikes, fifteen European countries are taking countermeasures; under the ‘European Sky Shield Initiative’(ESSI), last Thursday, October 13th, they agreed to a joint purchasing of air defence systems.
During a meeting at NATO’s Brussels headquarters, Defence Ministers from 14 NATO member states as well as Finland (whose membership to the military alliance is pending), signed a ‘Letter of Intent’ for the new initiative to be developed.
The announcement came mere hours after the UK and France upped their deliveries of air defence systems to Ukraine. One of them has reached Ukrainian soil. Germany, in the meantime, has promised Kyiv three more IRIS-T systems.
The ESSI is the brainchild of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who first proposed it in a speech in Prague in August. Then calling it a “security gain for all of Europe,” he argued for the advantages it had—in reduction of costs as well as in higher efficiency—over national systems.
According to NATO’s press release, the initiative—spearheaded by Germany—would serve to better coordinate the European air and missile defence system, hereby strengthening NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence. Co-signatories are Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, and the UK.
Germany’s role will primarily be one of recognising, and then plugging, existing gaps with regard to possible air attacks at close range—drones included—as well as at medium and long range. The acquisition of systems designed to counteract ballistic as well as cruise missiles (both part of Russia’s arsenal), will receive particular attention, its defence ministry said.
On Thursday morning, German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht told reporters that the systems that are to be purchased are the German-made IRIS-T, the U.S. Patriot system, and the Israeli-manufactured Arrow system.
She went on to laud the effort as “it is about being able to set prices accordingly [as purchases in bulk are cheaper] and, of course, it is also about being able to support each other jointly in terms of maintenance. So it’s a win-win situation for the countries that are part of it.”
Other countries, even non-NATO ones, are invited to join, Lambrecht added while noting that “there is still a great deal of interest.”
In a later interview with ZDF on Friday, October 14th, Lambrecht noted the fact that, while the initiative makes for a stronger defence, NATO heavyweights like France and Poland thus far have said no to the fledgling ‘European Sky Shield Initiative.’ “They have different motives, and have decided on their own procurements. And that is perfectly fine,” Lambrecht commented.
