European Sky Shield Initiative

[ORAC]

UK is a signatory member - what are we signing up to buy?

Its not NATO ACCS, we pulled out if that, it’s not a common NAEW replacement, we’re committed to E-7. It’s not a common fighter, we are committed to Tempest. We don’t have any MSAM or plans - currently - to buy any for the homeland defence, we already have CAMM as part of Sea Ceptor and Sky Sabre.

And how does this fit in with PESCO?

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_208103.htm

14 NATO Allies and Finland agree to boost European air defence capabilities

Defence Ministers from 14 NATO Allies* and Finland came together in Brussels on Thursday (13 October 2022) to sign a Letter of Intent for the development of a “European Sky Shield Initiative”. Spearheaded by Germany, the initiative aims to create a European air and missile defence system through the common acquisition of air defence equipment and missiles by European nations. This will strengthen NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence.

“This commitment is even more crucial today, as we witness the ruthless and indiscriminate missile attacks by Russia in Ukraine, killing civilians and destroying critical infrastructure. In this context, I strongly welcome Germany’s leadership in launching the European Sky Shield Initiative,” said NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană. He added: “The new assets, fully interoperable and seamlessly integrated within the NATO air and missile defence, would significantly enhance our ability to defend the Alliance from all air and missile threats.”

The initiative will allow all participating nations to jointly develop an air defence system using interoperable, off-the-shelf solutions. This multinational and multifaceted approach offers a flexible and scalable way for nations to strengthen their deterrence and defence in an efficient and cost-effective way.

* The 14 NATO allies included: Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, the United Kingdom

[Coochycool]

Nice capability requirement solution.

BUT the absence of Poland is an obvious omission.

Cooch

[rattman]

Nice capability requirement solution.

BUT the absence of Poland is an obvious omission.

Cooch

and france also with italy, spain and sweden not a part is interesting but not a big loss

[rattman]

UK is a signatory member - what are we signing up to buy?

Its not NATO ACCS, we pulled out if that, it’s not a common NAEW replacement, we’re committed to E-7. It’s not a common fighter, we are committed to Tempest. We don’t have any MSAM or plans - currently - to buy any for the homeland defence, we already have CAMM as part of Sea Ceptor and Sky Sabre.



The system is going to be layered defence based on Arrow -> Patriot -> Iris-T / NASAMS. Whats in it for UK, who knows, maybe will allow them to integrated CAAM/ Sky Sabre into the NASAMS system

[petit plateau]

The system is going to be layered defence based on Arrow -> Patriot -> Iris-T / NASAMS. Whats in it for UK, who knows, maybe will allow them to integrated CAAM/ Sky Sabre into the NASAMS system

Radars and radar sites.

[ORAC]

If you are looking at ICBM/IRBM defence against a limited attack, then the you want forward based up threat radars such as the AEGIS site planned for Poland. NATO also has a contract for integrating BMD into C2 systems*

Fylingdales might come into that, but I can’t see us building more radars, and we are too far back to host missiles.

* https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nato-awards-leidos-ballistic-missile-defense-contracts-301541829.html

[petit plateau]

If you are looking at ICBM/IRBM defence against a limited attack, then the you want forward based up threat radars such as the AEGIS site planned for Poland. NATO also has a contract for integrating BMD into C2 systems*

Fylingdales might come into that, but I can’t see us building more radars, and we are too far back to host missiles.

* https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nato-awards-leidos-ballistic-missile-defense-contracts-301541829.html

Fair point. But there is more than one threat direction to consider.

I must admit I find it an odd patchwork of countries to have signed on at this stage: some important geographical chunks are absent, and some important industrial chunks are absent. My best guess is that it is still going through the decision making process in others but they wanted to make an announcement at this stage for political reasons.

[ORAC]

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2023/07/05/neutral-switzerland-and-austria-will-join-european-air-defense-project/

Neutral Switzerland and Austria will join European air defense project

BERLIN — Switzerland plans to take part in a Europe-wide air defense project initiated in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine, officials said Tuesday.

The Alpine country is the second neutral nation after Austria to signal its intention to join the European Sky Shield Initiative launched by Germany last year.

Swiss Defence Minister Viola Amherd and her Austrian counterpart will sign a memorandum of understanding at a meeting Friday in Bern with Germany’s Boris Pistorius.

The European Sky Shield Initiative, or ESSI, was proposed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in August 2022 as a means of bundling the continent’s efforts to defend against possible aircraft or missile attacks. It will complement existing air defense systems established by NATO; Austria and Switzerland are not members of the alliance (https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2023/06/12/swedens-stalled-nato-bid-disrupts-nordic-defense-planning/).

The two countries have made clear that joining the initiative won’t entail any participation in international military conflicts.

So far 17 other nations, including Germany, Britain and Sweden, have signed up. France has criticized the project because key elements — the Israeli Arrow 3 system and the U.S. Patriot system — originate outside Europe.