NATO launches two new multinational air defence initiatives, strengthens existing projects

NATO on Thursday launched two new multinational High-Visibility initiatives to further enhance the protection of its airspace and strengthen its deterrence and defence.

At a signing ceremony held at NATO Headquarters, 15 Allies committed to developing more efficient solutions to lower-level air threats – that is, threats flying below 500 feet/150 meters, which is less than half the height of the Eiffel Tower.

In addition, the same 15 Allies (Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Türkiye and the United Kingdom), plus Czechia, launched a multinational initiative on passive air surveillance, such as noise detection, which is essential to identify incoming threats undetectable by active air surveillance capabilities such as radars and satellites.

The war in Ukraine has shown how effective and dangerous technologies such as small drones can play in conflict. Increasing NATO’s ability to detect, identify, track and respond to these new threats while exploiting technological advances for enhanced deterrence and defence is essential to the Alliance, NATO said in a statement.

Through the lower-level air threat and passive air surveillance projects, participating Allies will seek to develop and acquire new capabilities together, but also increase interoperability between national capabilities at reduced costs and higher operational benefits.

At the ceremony, Allies also welcomed new members to existing projects. Romania joined Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom in the Modular Solution for Ground Based Air Defence Capabilities (Modular GBAD). Launched in 2023, the project aims at developing a modular solution to counter air threats at very short, short and medium range.

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