Both SAMP/T NG and Next-Generation Patriot represent world-class air and missile defense capabilities that would significantly enhance any operator’s defensive posture. The technical specifications are broadly comparable—differences in radar range, missile velocity, and kill mechanisms reflect design philosophy choices rather than clear superiority.

The selection of advanced air defense systems has become a defining strategic decision for European defense organizations navigating the complex intersection of technological sovereignty, alliance …

The German-made IRIS-T SLM has become part of the backbone of European medium-range air defense, with at least eight nations ordering systems through the European Sky Shield Initiative framework since 2023. Diehl Defence has scaled production capacity by a factor of ten and invested approximately €1 billion to meet surging demand, with confirmed European contract values exceeding €3.6 billion. However, production still cannot match combined European and Ukrainian demand, creating multi-year delivery backlogs extending to 2030.

Overleveringsseremonien 3. desember på Holzdorf flystasjon markerte et vendepunkt for europeisk luftvern. Tysklands første operative Arrow 3-batteri, kulminasjonen av en anskaffelse på 4 milliarder euro som representerer Israels største forsvarseksport noensinne, posisjonerer Berlin i forkant av kontinental ballistisk missilforsvar. For Norge, som følger med fra den arktiske periferien med sin egen fleremilliardersatsing på luftvernmodernisering, reiser den tyske prestasjonen et ubehagelig spørsmål: hvorfor forblir norsk luftrom fullstendig uforsvart mot nettopp den trusselen Arrow 3 ble designet for å møte?

The Deutsche Marine’s most ambitious surface combatant program extends Zeitenwende to sea While Germany’s December 2025 deployment of the Arrow 3 system at Holzdorf has dominated headlines about German missile defense, an equally significant transformation is underway at sea. The Type F127 frigate program represents Berlin’s commitment to establishing comprehensive sea-based air and missile defense capability for the first time in German naval history.

On 3 December 2025, the German Air Force formally received its first operational Arrow 3 battery at Holzdorf Air Base in eastern Germany, approximately 120 kilometers south of Berlin. The ceremony marked not merely the completion of a procurement contract, but the culmination of a fundamental transformation in German defense thinking and the beginning of a new era in European air and missile defense capability.

Norge er mer enn ett år inn i sin mest ambisiøse forsvarsplan noensinne. Langtidsplan 2024-2036 lover historiske investeringer på 600 milliarder kroner, med luftvern som en av de høyeste prioriteringene. Politikere omtaler det som et “taktskifte” og “vendepunkt” for norsk forsvarsevne.

Denne studien dokumenterer hvordan lufttrusselen har blitt vurdert i norske forsvarsplaner fra 2012 til 2024, hvilke luftvernplaner som er vedtatt, og - kritisk viktig - hvilke tiltak som faktisk er gjennomført.

Finland has executed one of the most dramatic military pivots in modern European history, transforming from seven decades of carefully maintained neutrality into a frontline NATO state with rapidly expanding air and missile defense capabilities. The €317 million acquisition of Israel’s David’s Sling system, the first export sale of this advanced weapon, marks the centerpiece of an ambitious layered defense architecture now protecting 1,340 kilometers of NATO’s newest border with Russia.

Den 14. november 2025 godkjente det amerikanske utenriksdepartementet et salg til Tyskland av Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) Block I og Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIIC til en estimert verdi på 3,9 milliarder dollar.

On 12 September 2025, the Danish Ministry of Defence announced the largest weapons procurement in the country’s history - an investment of 58 billion Danish kroner (approximately £6.6 billion) in ground-based air and missile defence systems. This decision not only marks the end of Denmark’s 20-year gap in ground-based air defence but also represents a fundamental shift towards European defence autonomy during a period of increasing geopolitical tensions.

Executive Summary On 12 September 2025, the Danish Ministry of Defence announced the largest weapons procurement in the country’s history - an investment of 58 billion Danish kroner (approximately £6.6 billion) in ground-based air and missile defence systems. This decision not only marks the end of Denmark’s 20-year gap in ground-based air defence but also represents a fundamental shift towards European defence autonomy during a period of increasing geopolitical tensions.

Her får du et overblik efter dagens pressemøde, hvor Forsvarsminister Troels Lund Poulsen (V) præsenterede Danmarkshistoriens største våbenindkøb.

The convergence of emerging threats and defensive vulnerabilities is creating a strategic inflection point that most mainstream defense analysis significantly underestimates. While European defense establishments focus on traditional capability modernization, a series of critical trends are reshaping the air defense landscape in ways that could render current approaches obsolete within a decade. This analysis identifies the most consequential developments that require immediate strategic attention from European defense professionals.

Within the next three months, the US Army will release its Air and Missile Defense Strategy 2040, the most significant transformation in American air defense doctrine since the Cold War. This strategy will encompass lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East, along with a shifting focus on homeland defense …

In modern air defense, success relies more on Situational Awareness (SA) and Shared Situational Awareness (SSA) than on weapon power. These cognitive states enable teams to perceive, comprehend, and project threats rapidly. SSA enhances decision-making, reduces fratricide, builds resilience against attacks, and empowers operators, making it crucial for effective collaborative operations.

National air defenses faces more than just hypersonic glide vehicles. Learn how modern missile defense must counter ballistic missiles, stealthy cruise weapons, drone swarms, and other threats—simultaneously.

Modern Nordic air defence cannot rely on a single dominant threat model. The target environment is diverse, unpredictable, and deliberately designed to saturate and confuse defenders. That requires broad-spectrum sensors, multi-layer engagement capacity, and political/military frameworks for rapid cross-border cooperation.

The MIM-104 Patriot missile system represents one of the most successful examples of adaptive military technology in modern history, evolving from a 1961 Cold War concept into today’s premier air and missile defense system capable of intercepting hypersonic weapons.

The IRIS-T SL (especially in its SLM configuration) has likely succeeded in intercepting certain TBMs under favorable conditions, but its TBM defense remains a complimentary, not primary, function. Its actual operational value as a ballistic missile defense system must be viewed as a robust addition to layered defense—never a replacement for purpose-built long-range TBMD platforms.

From Early Systems to Future Prospects Against Ballistic and Hypersonic Threats The trajectory of Western ground-based long-range air and missile defense reflects decades of technological and strategic adaptation. Beginning with early Cold War-era anti-aircraft efforts focused on high-altitude bombers, these systems evolved to counter ballistic missiles and cruise missile threats. Today, the challenge has expanded to include hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs), whose speed and maneuverability demand new detection and interception technologies.

Although MEADS did not reach operational deployment, its legacy is clear and profound. The boldness of its design, especially in terms of sensor networking and mobility, compelled the evolution of air and missile defense doctrine throughout NATO and beyond. Today, the next-generation Patriot system—anchored by LTAMDS and the PAC-3 MSE missile—fulfills many of the original promises of MEADS but does so within a proven framework, benefiting from decades of operational experience and continuous feedback from allied partners.

To evolve NASAMS into a credible anti-tactical ballistic missile (ATBM) system, a focused, growth-oriented strategy is paramount. A phased approach, beginning with the foundational GhostEye MR radar, then integrating the highly capable Stunner/SkyCeptor interceptor, and culminating with the addition of the long-range ELM-2084 MMR sensor, offers the most logical and risk-managed path forward.

Norway's air defense strategy is clear, funded, and decisive. By contracting for four additional NASAMS batteries, the government has reaffirmed the system as the foundation of its territorial defense. Simultaneously, by explicitly planning for a separate long-range TBM defense system, it has acknowledged the changing nature of aerial threats.

The evolution of brigade-level air defense represents one of the most critical shifts in modern warfare, driven by the urgent need to counter new threats like drone swarms, loitering munitions, and low-observable cruise missiles. Moving far beyond the Cold War's manual SHORAD (Short-Range Air Defense) tactics, the future lies in a powerful synergy of AI-augmented decisioning, resilient mesh networks, multi-spectral sensors, and directed energy weapons.