In February, Greece announced it would join the European Sky Shield Initiative [ESSI], an anti-missile shield project launched in October 2022 by Berlin, within the framework of NATO. More precisely, it involves developing multi-layer air defense on a European scale, by promoting the pooling of purchases of dedicated capabilities. Among the systems selected are the IRIS-T SLM, produced by the German group Diehl Defense, the Arrow-3, designed by Israel with the support of the United States, and the American Patriot PAC-3, certain components of which are produced in Germany.
Like France and Italy, Poland initially stayed away from the ESSI, with Polish President Andrzej Duda calling it a “German business project.” However, although it came first in the last legislative elections, the PiS, from which it comes, has not managed to reach political agreements to continue to govern, unlike the centrist Donald Tusk, with whom it must now deal.
However, on many subjects, Mr. Tusk intends to return to the policy followed by Mateusz Morawiecki, his predecessor, even if it means clashing head-on with Mr. Duda, as recently happened regarding the advisability of joining the German anti-missile shield project.
Thus, in April, after meeting with Mette Federiksen, his Danish counterpart, Mr. Tusk raised the possibility of Poland joining the ESSI, which he improperly compared to the Israeli “Iron Dome”, which is only the “first layer” of the Jewish State’s air defense, the other two being respectively made up of the “David’s Sling” and “Arrow” systems.
“The recent Iranian attack [contre Israël] confirmed the importance of having a system similar to that of the Israeli air defense, the Iron Dome. […] It does not take much imagination to understand that we are perhaps also in a dangerous zone,” said Mr. Duda, before estimating that the ESSI could be “complementary” to Polish capabilities in this area. . These will not be negligible since Warsaw has ordered additional Patriot batteries, the CAMM system designed by MBDA and an Integrated Combat Command System for air and missile defense [IBCS – Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System].
During the massive attack launched by Iran on April 13, 99% of drones and missiles were intercepted, not only by Israeli anti-missile systems [qui couvrent une surface équivalente à celle d’un département français, ndlr] but also by fighter aviation, whose role will have been decisive. In addition, an anti-missile shield also requires having means of detection [ou d’alerte avancée]such as radars and satellites, as well as a strong chain of command and control [C2].
Therefore, can we consider setting up such an anti-missile defense on a European scale, knowing that, for example, that deployed by the United States to protect its territory has so far cost more than 40 billion dollars? ?
In any case, Mr Duda wants it, as does Kyriakos Mitsotakis, his Greek counterpart. On May 23, the two men sent a joint letter to Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, to plead the cause of an “anti-missile shield” supposed to preserve the European Union. [UE] of “any incoming threat” [drones, avions, missiles].
“Europe will be safe as long as the skies above it are safe,” argued MM. Mitsotakis and Tusk, who are members of the European People’s Party [PPE], like Mrs von der Leyen. This letter is also timely… since the latter has mentioned the need for an anti-missile shield at least twice in recent days…
In any case, for MM. Mitsotakis and Tusk, such a shield will “strengthen European deterrence” as well as the EU’s “overall defense capabilities”. In addition, it will encourage the European defense industrial and technological base [BITD-E] to “defense to develop cutting-edge technologies and to become a ‘world leader’ in this field”, they estimated. “It will be a catalyst that will allow Europe to further modernize its defense and security industries,” they insisted.
