EU member states will jointly strengthen air and missile defense

Table of Contents

• 1 Main restaurants
• 2 Combined air reinforcement and missile defense
• 3 Coordinated efforts in several areas
• 4 Economic benefits and technological progress
• 5 Strategic importance and superior technology
• 6 Increase in military spending in EU member states
• 7 How will the collaborative approach to air and missile defense facilitate information sharing and coordination between member ‍states during a potential crisis? ⁤

Main restaurants

• Eighteen EU member states have come together to strengthen their air and missile defense capabilities.
• The European Defense Agency (EDA) proposes several areas of cooperation, including electronic warfare and missile defense, as well as air and missile defense.
• The EDA emphasizes the strategic importance and economic benefits of these projects and the need for proactive measures to avoid duplication of research and development efforts by Member States.

Combined air reinforcement and missile defense

A large number of EU Member States have united to collect them air– and strengthen missile defense capabilities. Eighteen countries have committed to a joint initiative to develop these critical systems by sharing development costs and making coordinated efforts.

This strategic move prioritizes strengthening European air and missile defense as a key focus for military cooperation within the EU. The Polish Secretary of State for Defense Paweł Ksawery Zalewski emphasized the importance of this effort: “We are talking about all possibilities, including missile defense systems and drone defense systems. So this is a crucial point, because an advantage in the air determines the war.”

Coordinated efforts in several areas

Although air and missile defense have received the most attention from European headquarters, the European Defense Agency (EDA) proposes several other areas of cooperation: electronic warfare in which 14 Member- states, naval forces of 17 Member States and European warships of seven Member States. The EDA recognizes that the EU currently has a shortage of air defense systems and attributes this to the newness of these technologies in practical use.

While the technology base is in place, the focus is on bridging the gap between innovation and operational readiness. The EDA emphasizes the strategic importance of this project and also points out the potential economic benefits for all Member States. Stefano Cont, Director of Capability, Weapons and Planning at the EDA, emphasizes that “Integrated missile defense is a very broad set of activities. The capabilities can support many areas of armed forces and industrial projects and are therefore highly relevant to Europe’s defense and technology base.”

Economic benefits and technological progress

Cont elaborates further on the impact of the project on different sectors: “These capabilities will bring a lot of innovation and new technologies. So it’s a big boost for our economy, not just for big business, but also for small and medium-sized enterprises and research.”

The EDA emphasizes that this initiative goes beyond military issues only. It includes comprehensive risk monitoring and analysis using advanced tools such as satellites, communication technologies and artificial intelligence. Sensors and radars in space play a vital role in the early identification of potential threats.

Strategic importance and superior technology

Cont emphasizes the need for proactive measures: “We absolutely need to increase the size of our systems. We need to increase our ability to understand where threats are coming from as early as possible.” He also emphasizes the importance of maintaining technological superiority: “Secondly, we must maintain a technological edge that allows us to defeat these systems,” saying that significant progress has been made already done in this area.

These projects aim to avoid duplication of research and development efforts by Member States, while promoting shared financial responsibility.

Increase in military spending in EU member states

The EDA 2024 report shows a significant increase in military spending in all EU member states, 30 percent compared to 2021, ahead of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This year, the 27 countries are expected to spend €326 billion, equivalent to 1.9 percent of the EU’s GDP. Despite this increase, the report states that national efforts alone are not sufficient to adequately prepare the armed forces of the Member States for high-intensity war situations.

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