Patriot air defence system / photo: twitter.com/oleksiireznikov
NATO has called on European member states to increase their ground-based air defence capabilities fivefold. The move is aimed at addressing a critical gap in the Alliance’s defence capabilities amid a growing threat from Russia. This was reported by Bloomberg with reference to sources.
According to the publication’s interlocutors, this is a general goal that will be further detailed for each member state separately by determining individual levels of expansion. No specific timeframe has been set for the implementation of this initiative.
The issue of building up air defence is expected to be among the key topics at the meeting of NATO defence ministers to be held in Brussels on Thursday.
A senior European military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that NATO member states are in dire need of ground-based air defence systems. This is to protect against a range of modern threats, including drones, cruise and ballistic missiles, and combat aircraft.
He explained that over the past three decades, NATO has been reducing its air defence systems, focusing mainly on threats from the Middle East and North Africa. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has fundamentally changed the approach to defence planning, especially on the Alliance’s eastern flank.
Currently, NATO fears that a potential military threat from Russia is “only a matter of years away”.
In response to Bloomberg’s request, an Alliance spokesperson confirmed that air and missile defence, as well as long-range weapons, logistics and ground forces, are “among NATO’s top priorities”.
“We continue to review our military concept, modernise our command structure and strengthen our integrated air and missile defence,” he said.
The Air Defence Enhancement Initiative is part of NATO’s broader strategic course aimed at significantly increasing defence spending and modernising the armed forces of its member states in response to new security challenges in Europe.
