Norway agreed to Germany’s plan with a “starting point” because Norway manufactures the NASAMS air defense system. But she did not find a place for herself in the Sky Shield Initiative.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke at Charles University in Prague in the Czech Republic on August 29 last year. Then he presented his plan for a stronger joint air defense in Europe. One year later, it is unclear what the plan entails.
The short version
- A year ago, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, launched the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI). It is a cooperative initiative for air defense in Europe.
- Norway quickly joined the program, but its NSAMS air defense system still had no place in the initiative.
- Despite the grand plans, Sky Shield has so far proven limited and includes only three systems: two German and one American. Key European countries such as France, Poland and Italy shied away, and the proposal was criticized for lacking clarity and coordination.
The abstract was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and quality assurance by Aftenposten journalists.
The fact that missiles and bombs would hit buildings in European cities was a far-fetched idea for many. But as Russia advanced into Ukraine, air defense was suddenly back on the agenda.
Germany is at the forefront of a new initiative. A year ago, Chancellor Olaf Scholz launched a new programme: the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI). Norway was quick to join the program, which now has 19 participants.
But so far, little concrete has happened. Large and important countries such as France, Poland and Italy were excluded.
And there are several reasons for this.
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