15 Countries Agree to Build a European Sky Shield System

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15 Countries Agree to Build a European Sky Shield System

A total of 15 European countries, consisting of 14 NATO countries plus Finland, agreed to build a joint air and missile defence system called the European Sky Shield Initiative. This joint sky shield system will protect all European countries belonging to the group from enemy missile attacks.

Each member country is obliged to adjust the programme for purchasing defence equipment, especially missiles and air defence systems, so they are compatible and mutually reinforcing. The European Sky Shield initiative, led by Germany, was sparked at a meeting of the defence ministers of 14 NATO countries and Finland in Belgium. The meeting ended with signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) to develop the shield system.

15 Countries Agree to Build a European Sky Shield System

Under the programme, European countries will jointly purchase air and missile defence equipment to form a joint air and missile defence system. The nations will focus on procuring air defence systems that provide very short, short, medium and long-range defence and missile and anti-drone defence systems for the short and medium term.

15 Countries Agree to Build a European Sky Shield System

Signatories such as the UK, Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia and the Netherlands will use ready-to-use, interoperable solutions to develop this defence system.

NATO believes that the initiative will strengthen NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence.

The 14 NATO allies are Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Roumania, and the United Kingdom.