Twelve European states poised to join Scholz’s anti-missile shield

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Europe-wide air defence system is taking shape as 12 European countries have signed up as fears grow over using intercontinental ballistic missiles as the Ukraine war escalates.

Scholz proposed his initiative to integrate the patchwork of European defence systems into a European missile shield to allow for a more efficient and cost-effective solution during a speech in Prague on 29 August, where he pleaded for increased air-defence cooperation.

Spearheaded by Germany, a total of 12 European countries – Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Netherlands – are expected to join Scholz’s European anti-missile shield.

The idea of a joint European air defence system has particularly resonated among Eastern European countries, worried about Putin’s threats of further escalation and nuclear weapon use. Scholz has not only won over the support of many European partners but also of his liberal and historically antimilitarist green coalition partners.

A Joint Declaration of Intent is to be signed on the sidelines of the NATO defence ministers’ meeting on Wednesday and Thursday (12-13 October) at the organisation’s headquarters in Brussels, the newspaper Der Spiegel reported.

According to media reports from various countries, the European Skyshield is said to be fitted with the Arrow 3 missile interception system, originally designed and implemented by Israel.

The Arrow 3 is an anti-ballistic missile capable of intercepting long-range projectiles and then neutralising them from a safe distance. Stationing said anti-missile batteries across several states could potentially allow for a more complete and cost-effective defence of the European skies.

France and Poland, however, have already turned down Scholz’s offer.

While Poland said it would instead set up its own air defence system, France heavily relies on the deterring effect of its own nuclear arsenal rather than opting for conventional anti-ballistic missile systems.