NATO boosts European air defenses amid Russian threat
As reported by Bloomberg, NATO plans to increase its air defense capabilities in Europe fivefold in response to the threat from Russia. The plan's details will be discussed during the defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.
What do you need to know?
- NATO plans a significant increase in air defenses in Europe as a response to the growing threat from Russia.
- The NATO defense ministers' meeting will be held in Brussels. There, the details of the plan and the approval of the program to increase weapon stockpiles will be discussed.
- NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, emphasized the alliance's readiness for a full-scale conflict, noting that the current situation is neither war nor peace.
What are NATO's plans for increasing air defense?
NATO aims to increase ground-based air defense capabilities fivefold among European member states. This plan is a direct response to the threat from Russia. According to Bloomberg, the topic will be discussed during the NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
Details of the plan, including the timeline, remain unclear for now, but the increase in defense capabilities would cover the entire continent, with varied participation from different countries.
The ministers are also set to approve one of the largest programs to increase weapon stockpiles since the Cold War, as part of broader efforts to help Europe and Canada become more independent from American defense systems.
Why is NATO focusing on air defense?
The expansion of air defense is one of NATO's priorities, particularly in the context of increasingly advanced threats such as drones, missiles, and fighter jets.
Over the past few decades, alliance countries have limited the development of these systems, concentrating on threats outside Europe. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 changed this strategy.
