• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Germany's Scholz Proposes European Joint Air Defense System

Sputnik News

20220829
Ilya Tsukanov

Germany delivered three of 50 promised refurbished Flakpanzer Gepard mobile anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine in July after months of delays. In June, German media reported "massive problems" with these and other armaments, including ammunition incompatibility and the poor state of the Bundeswehr's heavy weapons stocks.

Berlin is working on a next-generation air and space defense system, and is inviting its European neighbors to join, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has indicated.

"An air defense system developed jointly in Europe would be more effective and cost-effective than if each of us built our own systems," Scholz said Monday during a keynote address in Prague on the future of the European Union.

Listing Poland, the Baltics, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands as potential partners in the project, Scholz suggested that Europe has "considerable catching up to do," when it comes to defense against aerial and space threats.

"If we jointly develop an air defense system in Europe, it will not only be more efficient and cost-effective. It would also be a security gain for Europe as a whole, and an outstanding example of strengthening the European pillar within NATO," Scholz said.

The chancellor did not provide any concrete details on the ambitious project, except to say that Germany would "be investing very significantly in our air defense in the coming years," and would assure that all of its "future"-oriented systems would be "deployable within the NATO framework."

The money for the project is expected to come from the €100 billion pot of spending approved by the government in June, which is the country's largest defense outlay since the Second World War.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Scholz said that the "united Europe" forged by the EU was "born as a peace project," and that "it is up to us to continue developing this promise of peace by allowing the EU to safeguard its security, independence and stability in the face of external challenges."

Scholz also touched on Berlin's arms deliveries to Kiev, saying Germany "will bear a special responsibility" in developing Ukraine's artillery and air defenses.

Germany has promised to send up to 50 used Gepard rapid-fire armored vehicles to Ukraine. So far, only about three of the Gepards have arrived, but problems have already been reported, including incompatibility with the Norwegian ammunition they use.

The idea of joint European defense projects is not new, with French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders spending years discussing the concept of a European Army and the need to pool resources to prevent duplication and cut costs. However, the idea has run into multiple roadblocks, including competition by national military industries seeking to ensure that their systems are developed. Pressure from the US, NATO's head honcho, to ensure that European money is spent on American-made weapons systems is another factor.

© Sputnik