European Countries Signs Memorandum to Develop Air-Defense SkyShield System.

On October 12, 2023, in Brussels, several European countries decided to sign a memorandum concerning the European SkyShield system. In the context of increasing geopolitical tensions, notably due to the war in Ukraine and recent strikes on Israel, the European SkyShield Initiative (ESSI) is gaining momentum. Led by Germany, this initiative aims to create an integrated air defense system for Europe, including ballistic missile defense capabilities.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Several European countries decided to sign a memorandum concerning the European SkyShield system in Brussels (Picture source: Lithuanian MoD )

ESSI was first proposed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in August 2022, in response to Russian strikes against Ukraine and growing concerns about Europe's limited ability to defend against threats such as the Russian 9K720 Iskander ballistic missile systems deployed in Kaliningrad. The initiative aims to strengthen NATO's Integrated Air Defense System and involves joint procurement of air defense systems.

To date, nineteen European states are participating in the initiative. In addition to Germany, founding countries include Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, and the United Kingdom. In February 2023, Denmark and Sweden joined the project, and in July 2023, Austria and Switzerland also signed the declaration to join the initiative.

The European SkyShield Initiative adopts a multi-layered approach to air defense. For the medium-range, it mainly plans to use the IRIS-T SLM system. For long-range defense, the MIM-104 Patriot system will be the cornerstone of this category. Finally, for very long-range threats, particularly those outside the Earth's atmosphere, the Arrow 3 system will be deployed. The German Bundestag has authorized a budget of nearly 4 billion euros for the acquisition of the Arrow 3 ballistic missile defense system from Israel, as we reported on Army Recognition dated September 28, 2023.

The IRIS-T SLM (Surface Launched Medium Range) is a medium-range air defense system developed by Diehl Defence in Germany. It is capable of intercepting aerial targets at a distance of up to 25 km and at an altitude of 6100 m. The system uses infrared-guided missiles and is designed to be extremely agile, capable of destroying maneuverable targets like fighter jets and drones.

The MIM-104 Patriot is a long-range ground-to-air missile system developed by Raytheon in the United States. It can intercept aerial and ballistic targets at a distance of up to 160 km and at a maximum altitude of 24 km. The system uses an active electronically scanned array radar for target tracking and missile guidance. It is also capable of intercepting short and medium-range ballistic missiles.

The Arrow 3 system is a very long-range ballistic missile defense system jointly developed by Israel and the United States. It is designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the Earth's atmosphere, with an operational range of up to 2400 km. The system uses radar-guided interceptors and fragmentation warheads to destroy targets. The German Bundestag has authorized a budget of nearly €4 billion for the acquisition of this system, highlighting its importance in Europe's air defense strategy.

However, the system does not have unanimous support in Europe; France has contested the initiative, citing excessive dependence on equipment and technology produced outside of Europe in the German plans. Several major European states, including France, Poland, Italy, and Spain, have not yet made a decision to join ESSI.

Despite the controversy, the European SkyShield Initiative represents an interesting step in consolidating Europe's air defense. It aims to address the growing need to strengthen NATO and Europe's air defense capabilities.

In order, Iris-T SLM, Arrow 3 and MIM-104 composant of the SkyShield System (Picture Source: Army Recognition and Wikimedia )