European countries are planning to build a joint missile defense system similar to Israel's Iron Dome, worth $4.3 billion.
European countries are planning to build a $4.3 billion Iron Dome missile defense system, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. The initiative, involving 21 countries, will be presented to the European Council in the coming days.
The European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) was conceived as a mechanism for European countries to jointly procure interoperable ground-based air defence systems.
“The recent attack on Israel showed the importance of such systems. There is no reason why Europe should not have its own missile defence shield. The creation of a European Iron Dome to protect against missiles and drones is necessary,” Mr Tusk told the Telegraph.
According to Mr. Tusk, it is not too difficult to imagine where a potential attack on Europe could come from.
Israel's Iron Dome has long been considered one of the world's most advanced air defense systems, protecting the country's skies from missiles and other airborne threats.
In April, Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel, most of which were shot down by Israeli air defenses with the support of US and British forces.
Although a direct “hot” attack by Russia on NATO members in Europe is unlikely, many countries – especially those bordering Russia – have expressed concern, and many have increased their defense spending to levels higher than before the Russia-Ukraine conflict erupted in February 2022.
ESSI was first proposed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in 2022, shortly after Russia launched missile attacks on Ukrainian targets.
In a 2023 report, the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) listed a number of systems that the German government is looking to buy or add to the ESSI. These include the US-made Patriot, the IRIS-T SLM – a short-to-medium range system capable of targeting drones, aircraft and cruise missiles – and the long-range Arrow system in use in Israel.
Although Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk supports ESSI, the initiative has been opposed by President Andrzej Duda, who opposes joining ESSI on the grounds that Poland already has a joint air defense agreement with the US and the UK.
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