On October 13, defence ministers from 14 NATO allies, including Bulgaria and Finland, gathered in Brussels to sign a letter of intent for the creation of a European Sky Shield Initiative. According to a statement from NATO, the plan is conducted by Germany.
Its main objective is to develop a European air and missile defence system by coordinating the purchase of air defence hardware and missiles by European countries. According to the announcement, this will bolster NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense, threatened multiple times by Russia since the beginning of the war.
Apart from Bulgaria, the other Nato countries to sign for purchasing new defence systems were Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania and the United Kingdom.
General Mircea Geoana, Deputy Secretary of NATO, stated, “The ruthless and indiscriminate missile attacks by Russia in Ukraine, which have killed civilians and destroyed vital infrastructure, make this commitment even more critical. We desperately need new air defence systems to ensure peace and security in our countries. In light of this, I warmly appreciate Germany for taking the lead in establishing the European Sky Shield Initiative.
Geoana added, “The new assets will significantly improve our capabilities to protect the Alliance from all air and missile threats since they are perfectly compatible and seamlessly integrated into NATO’s air and missile defence system.”
Christine Lambrecht, federal minister of Germany’s defence, said, “Being interoperable is key. It has to do with having the ability to adjust price structures. Of course, it also has to do with being able to help one another out with upkeep “added Lambrecht.nIt’s a win-win situation for the countries involved.”