Russia’s war in Ukraine has underscored the importance of effective air and missile defence for the protection of both units on the battlefield and infrastructure behind the front lines. The war has also served as a reminder that while Europe’s air and missile defence has long been recognised as a critical capability shortfall, NATO Allies and EU Member States have not acted with sufficient resolve to rectify this situation.
In March 2025, at the invitation of the ICDS and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Estonia, officials, air and missile defence experts, and representatives of the Tallinn-based diplomatic corps met to discuss the challenges of defending Europe’s skies. This policy paper records some of their deliberations and makes recommendations for defence decision makers regarding air and missile defence policy and operations, and the defence industry dimension. An annex provides an overview of Europe’s current air and missile defence capabilities, and of various programmes, projects, and initiatives that are underway with a view to addressing shortfalls.
Enhancing Europe’s air and missile defence is a necessary, but highly challenging endeavour. An evolutionary approach will likely not deliver the fully integrated air and missile defence architecture required: a radical redesign will be necessary. Above all, European states will need to invest substantial resources to meet their air and missile defence needs and to ensure that defence industrial production is able to deliver what is required. Significant multinational cooperation, including the participation of non-EU states in relevant EU defence programmes, will also be essential.
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