Can NATO protect Ukraine Airspace as done for Israel?.

On April 13, 2024, Iran launched over 300 missiles and drones towards Israeli territory. Despite intercepting over 95%, some missiles hit the Nevatim base, notable for housing F35s. Many Twitter accounts supporting Ukraine raised the question of Western aerial support for Ukrainian forces focused on anti-drone and anti-missile defense. However, this conclusion appears more complex for the armed forces.
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Ukrainian pilots training with NATO on F16 (Picture source: X/@geo_politie )

This request originated from a statement ( on telegram) by the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmitro Kuleba, indicating that Poland could collaborate with Ukraine to defend Ukrainian aerial installations, a notion commented upon by former Polish Air Force inspector general, Brigadier General Tomasz Drewniak.

Kuleba described the idea of using Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems in Poland to secure the airspace above western Ukraine as entirely feasible. He suggested Poland could lease these systems to Ukraine, providing defense against Russian missile and drone attacks.

Drewniak deemed this proposal technically feasible but highlighted serious military-political obstacles to its implementation. He warned that the Polish defense of Ukrainian airspace could escalate conflict and emphasized the importance of radar connectivity for effective air defense systems. Drewniak suggested either integrating Ukrainian radars into NATO's system or deploying NATO radars in Ukraine. However, he cautioned that any NATO defense action against a Russian aircraft could trigger a Russian military response and escalate into a major conflict.

Drewniak also questioned the military effectiveness of protecting western Ukrainian airspace, noting it's rarely targeted by the Russian military with limited consequences.

Andrzej Grzyba, head of the Sejm Defense Committee, echoed these views, and expressed skepticism about Poland's involvement in Ukrainian air defense. He stressed that responding to incidents within 100 km of a neighboring country could be considered an act of war.

However, Grzyba recommAndrzej Grzyba, head of the Sejm Defense Committee, echoed these viewsended maintaining existing military assistance, including supplying weapons, and equipment, and training Ukrainian military personnel.

Additionally, supplementing this viewpoint, Iran and Russia, the two nations opposed to NATO systems, have differing ambitions and international positions. From the Russian perspective, the Russian Armed Force's conflict with NATO in the Ukrainian theater makes it undesirable to give them a reason to expand beyond this theater.

Defense News April 2024