Air defence is the top priority

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine in violation of international law, and the associated tragic suffering of the civilian population caused by massive attacks from the third dimension, underline the importance and necessity of comprehensive ground-based air defence—essential for protecting the  population, critical infrastructure, and maintaining operational freedom. The protection of Germany is of particular importance, among other reasons because it serves as NATO’s logistical hub and staging area for our partners in the event of a possible conflict on NATO´s Eastern Flank.

In current and future military conflicts between highly technologically advanced states, massive attacks from the air far behind the confrontation line must be expected, including ballistic missiles, long-range cruise missiles, and so-called ‘one-way-attack’ unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The wars between Russia and Ukraine as well as between Iran and Israel have shown that such attacks are carried out in a coordinated approach using different types of weapons in extremely large numbers in order to saturate—or overwhelm—the existing air defence architecture. Quantity—measured against reality—has demonstrably become a new quality.

This presents major challenges to ground-based air defence. After the end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, NATO’s focus was primarily directed toward international crisis and conflict management. During the resulting missions and operations in recent decades, deployed forces faced no significant threat from the air. As a result, many NATO member countries—including Germany—reduced the size of their ground-based air defence forces, invested little in their modernisation, or abandoned them entirely. NATO members have responded to the change in the security political situation, and the development and expansion of the current integrated air defence capabilities has become one of the highest priorities. The same applies to Germany. In addition to all other necessary fields of action to strengthen national and collective defence, the Bundeswehr has assigned the highest priority to modernising and strengthening ground-based air defence. The modernisation of PATRIOT units, already initiated in 2021, procurement projects financed from the Bundeswehr’s special fund—particularly the acquisition of the Arrow Weapon System for Germany (AWS-G), the IRIS-T SLM air defence systems, and the development of the modular short- and very-short-range air defence system (LVS NNbS), as well as the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) initiated by Germany, form the foundation for this. The Bundeswehr will continue to invest extensively in the backbone of its ground based air defence architecture—the PATRIOT weapon system. With ongoing and future modernisations, the system will remain one of the most modern and capable air defence systems in Europe well into the 2040s. At the same time, the prerequisites for maintaining and improving multinational interoperability and for employment in multinational Air and Missile Defence Task Forces will be set up. At the same time, additional high-performance systems will be introduced alongside PATRIOT to reach the aim of an overlapping complimentary layered defence architecture from turf to space.

The Russian attacks on Ukraine in November 2024 using medium- range missiles revealed the existence of a new type of missile—the Oreschnik. This confirms that, at the latest since the termination of the INF Treaty, Russia has resumed its programme for the development and production of precise conventional as well as nuclear medium-range missiles capable of reaching strategically important targets deep in the rear. Due to its central European location, Germany lies precisely within this depth of engagement, where the threat spectrum differs in part from that faced by Russia’s neighbouring states.

Given the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Germany’s entry into comprehensive territorial missile defence—made visible in 2023 through the signing of the procurement contract for AWS-G—appears to be threat-driven and in response to current events. However, the development of this capability had already been prepared in 2018 and follows a capability-based approach. The Arrow-3 interceptor operates in the exo-atmospheric domain, at interception altitudes above 100 km. In configuring the system, potential threats from all 360 degrees are considered, including those launched from land, air, and sea (including submarines).

As part of further capability development of this strategically significant weapon system for Germany, and in coordination with our Israeli and American partners, the procurement and integration of additional future interceptors from the Arrow family is also intended. The aim is to further exploit the system’s potential and enable both endo- and exo-atmospheric interception. With AWS-G, Germany will for the first time acquire the capability to provide early warning of and to engage incoming long-range missiles. This ensures protection of the entire territory of Germany and its population, including critical infrastructure, against this potential threat. In addition, NATO command facilities, staging areas, and thus the logistical hub for allies in Germany will also be protected. This contributes significantly to maintaining operational freedom in a possible conflict on NATO’s Eastern Flank. As planned, the system achieved initial capability in December 2025.

The future LVS NNbS will essentially consist of a medium-range component and a highly mobile, armoured very-short-range component. It will be complemented by a capability to counter small unmanned aircraft systems as well as rockets, artillery, and mortars. Without such a system-of-systems architecture, the protection of land operations in particular would hardly be possible. The development contract for this system of systems was signed at the beginning of 2024. Since LVS NNbS is partly based on components still under development, the IRIS-T Surface Launched Medium Range air defence system—fully financed from the Bundeswehr’s special fund—represents another key building block in the rapid strengthening of Germany’s ground-based air defence.

This system is already being used in Ukraine with impressive effectiveness and high combat value. The interceptor of the IRIS-T SLM system is a further development of the IRIS-T air-to-air missile already introduced into Luftwaffe service on the Eurofighter. For the ground-based medium-range variant, the interceptor was equipped with a two-way data link as well as a new, extended- range solid rocket motor and navigation system. The IRIS-T SLM system is used to intercept, among other threats, helicopters, combat aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles. Unlike the systems delivered to Ukraine, the systems procured for the Bundeswehr will be configured for seamless integration into NATO’s integrated air defence network. The new air defence system of the Air Force is a highly agile and state-of-the-art system. Within minutes of taking up position, it is ready for use and can be redeployed just as quickly. Thanks to a high degree of automation, combined with the system’s robustness, only a very small number of personnel is required. In Ukraine, it has already demonstrated very high performance and accuracy and has proven extremely effective against low-flying cruise missiles and one-way attack drones of the Shahed type. The speed with which the Bundeswehr is introducing this system is also a clear signal of the “Zeitenwende”.

After the procurement contract was signed in 2023, the first system was handed over to the Bundeswehr for qualification and operational testing on 4 September 2024, and the personnel designated for the first firing unit achieved initial operational capability after completing the necessary training. As part of the planned capability development of the IRIS-T SLM weapon system within the immediate action programme, not only will the number of firing units be increased, but the system will also be supplemented by the already available Surface-Launched Short-Range (SLS) variant and the Surface-Launched Extended- Range (SLX), currently under development. This will provide the IRIS-T SL air defence system with an interceptor mix capable of engaging targets from very short range out to approximately 80 km—an essential capability in light of the increased quantitative challenges.

This system is also a central component of the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI). ESSI was launched by Germany in 2022 to rapidly strengthen, in particular, the European pillar of NATO air defence. This is to be achieved primarily through the procurement of off-the-shelf air defence systems to close time-critical capability gaps. Another focus is the saving and pooling of resources by creating industrial, economic, and technological synergies. A key driver of ESSI is increasing interoperability through the joint procurement of identical or at least compatible systems. Several European partner countries have already concluded procurement contracts for the IRIS-T SLM system. Through ESSI, there is also an opportunity to unlock operational potential. Instead of creating duplicate training structures across Europe, there is the option of multi-nationalising IRIS-T SL training at the Air Force’s Air Defence Missile Training Centre. For this purpose, Germany’s Air Chief invited the ESSI Air Chiefs to Germany in early September 2023 to present this project—the European Air and Missile Defence Training Center. Further implementation is currently underway.

With the projects outlined, the capabilities of the Bundeswehr’s ground-based air defence will be significantly improved both quantitatively and qualitatively. At the same time, it is positioned for the future through development potential and foreseeable performance increases. In addition, the possibilities for operating jointly with multinational partners within an integrated framework will be considerably strengthened. Germany is thus making another important contribution to strengthening the European pillar of NATO air defence and the Alliance as a whole.

Dennis Krüger and Thomas Finkeldey
Colonel (GS) Dennis Krüger is Advisor, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Finkeldey Deputy Advisor to the Air Chief on Ground-Based Air Defence Projects, Air Force Headquarters.

 

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