Daily Management Review

FT: NATO has only 5% of necessary air defense capabilities to defend Europe


05/30/2024


Less than 5% of NATO members possess the air defense capabilities required to defend Eastern and Central European nations from a full-scale attack, writes the Financial Times citing people who are aware of the alliance's preparations.



NIDS/NATO Multimedia Library via flickr
NIDS/NATO Multimedia Library via flickr
According to a senior NATO diplomat, NATO's strategy to prevent invasion of Eastern Europe includes the capacity to defend against airstrikes. The source pointed out that NATO does not currently possess this capability. "One of our main weaknesses is air defense... We are unable to dispute that". The sources claim that the alliance nations are currently making investments in brand-new fighter jets and other air defense systems.

The Financial Times also reports on issues with UK air defense systems. Six British air defense destroyers have design flaws, the newspaper claims. Furthermore, two of the six 40-kilometer-range upgraded Sky Sabre air defense systems are located abroad.

Last week, representatives from Greece and Poland requested funding and assistance from the European Commission for the creation of a pan-European air defense system. Ursula von der Leyen, the leader of the European Commission, backed this idea.

source: ft.com