NATO to strengthen air defense on the eastern flank

At a meeting before the summit in Vilnius, NATO ministers agreed on a new rotational model for air and missile defense.

According to Yevropeiska Pravda, this was reported in a communiqué following the meeting.

The text notes that at the summit in Vilnius, the allies will take decisions to further strengthen deterrence and defense, including new regional plans, and that the Alliance will have more than 300,000 troops on high alert.

"Ministers also agreed on a new rotational model for air and missile defense," the communiqué said.

In its statement, the Estonian Ministry of Defense noted that this would mean strengthening the protection of the sky on the eastern flank.

"Enhanced air defense in the context of this agreement means that in addition to effective air defense with fighter jets, units with surface-to-air capabilities will be rotated on NATO's eastern flank. Now, based on a bilateral agreement, Estonia has Spanish NASAMS systems, and according to the new model, we can start planning the next rotations," explained Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.

The meeting also agreed to raise targets for ammunition, which is particularly important on the battlefield and reviewed the Defense Industry Action Plan to increase overall capabilities and interoperability of weapons.

"The NATO Secretary General expressed the expectation that Allies will agree to more ambitious commitments to defense investment at the Vilnius Summit, with 2% of GDP as a lower rather than an upper target," the Alliance's press service said in a communiqué.

Author - Olena Madiak, 16/06/2023