Germany and 13 NATO allies, including Bulgaria, have announced a cooperation project to create a better European air defense system.
The defense ministers of the 14 countries signed a declaration of intent for the so-called European Air Shield Initiative. It provides for the parties to participate in the joint acquisition of air defense systems from such as “Arrow 3” and “Patriot”.
The signing ceremony took place at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
In addition to Germany, Bulgaria is also participating in the project Great Britain, Slovakia, Norway, Latvia, Hungary, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovenia.
Bulgaria currently relies mainly on old Soviet S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, but these are not compatible with NATO. After the Russian military aggression against Ukraine Fr.the maintenance of Soviet armaments became more and more complex.
However, the Bulgarian side refused to provide them to help Ukraine due to the lack of an alternative. Unlike Bulgaria, Slovakia responded to the call for help.
Furthermore, Bulgaria does not have modern 3D radars, which makes our country even more vulnerable.
“This commitment is even more important today as we witness Russia’s relentless and indiscriminate missile attacks in Ukraine, killing civilians and destroying critical infrastructure. In this context, I warmly welcome the German leadership in launching the ‘European Sky Shield’ initiative. , NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Joanna said.
The initiative will allow all participating countries to jointly develop an air defense system using standard interoperable solutions.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the project in late August, saying it would improve “the security of the whole of Europe”. He said that creating a European air defense system would be cheaper and more efficient than any country building its own, costly and highly complex air defense system.
Scholz then promised that Germany would invest heavily in air defense over the next few years, so that its European neighbors could participate from the start. Specifically, he mentioned the Netherlands, Poland, the Baltic countries-Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the partners of the Scandinavian peninsula.
Improving German air defenses has become more urgent since Russia changed the situation in Europe with its attack on Ukraine. Therefore, the project is also seen as a response to the war, which has already been underway for more than six months, notes DPA.
At the moment, “Stinger” anti-aircraft missiles are deployed in Germany, which have a shorter range and are designed to counter airplanes and helicopters. Portable Stinger missiles were also delivered to Ukraine.
The largest “Patriot” system is effective up to a distance of 30 kilometers. Germany still has 12 pitchers, but this is not enough to defend their entire territory.
The Bundeswehr is said to have a “capability gap” in its defense against ballistic missiles that reach targets located at high altitudes.
One of the possible options for the German armed forces is the acquisition of the Israeli Arrow 3 system, which is the highest tier in Israel’s multi-tiered anti-missile defense system and can destroy attack weapon systems up to one. altitude of over 100 kilometers.
In the framework of their meeting, the NATO defense ministers decided provide assistance to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses and increase defense aid for the country.
