Well, I cannot confirm the latest instance you're referring to but in general, I can say that we are stepping up our vigilance, our presence, the way we monitor our airspace and including by deploying new Patriot batteries to the eastern part of the Alliance and by doing that and also through our AWACS surveillance planes and increased air policing, air patrolling, we are both increasing the capabilities we have to monitor, to track, but also to ensure that we are able to react if needed.
#eudebates #NATO #Security #Defence #war #ARMY #EUarmy
NATO's integrated air and missile defence tracked the flight path of an object which entered Romanian airspace on Sunday. In response, Romanian fighter aircraft scrambled immediately to investigate and the Romanian authorities and NATO are reviewing this incident as we are also reviewing the incident that ended with the crash of a drone in Croatia. The indications we have so far on the drone that crashed in Croatia outside Zagreb is that that was not an armed attack, not an armed drone. But it just highlights that with more military activities in the air, with drones, with planes, there is a risk for incidents and accidents. And therefore we need to be extremely vigilant, we need to react when needed and we need to make sure that we have the communications, the line of communications, also with the Russians to prevent incidents from really creating dangerous situations. So that's the reason why we are increasing the presence and also the surveillance and monitoring of the airspace over NATO.
[ Ссылка ] #eudebates NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg previewed this week’s extraordinary meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in a press conference on Tuesday (15 March 2022). “NATO Defence Ministers will meet tomorrow at a defining moment for our security,” he said. “President Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine is causing death and destruction every day; it has shocked the world; and shaken the international order.”
Secretary General Stoltenberg highlighted NATO’s long-standing partnership with Ukraine, and Allies’ strong support for Kyiv in the current crisis: “For many years, NATO Allies have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops. Many of them are now fighting on the front lines. Allies have also provided significant quantities of critical equipment, including anti-tank and air defence weapons, drones, ammunition and fuel. Ukraine has a fundamental right to self-defence, enshrined in the UN Charter; and NATO Allies and partners will continue to help Ukraine uphold that right, by providing military equipment, and financial and humanitarian assistance,” he said.
Mr Stoltenberg also outlined NATO’s rapid response to protect all Allies, including with activated defence plans and raised readiness. “There are now hundreds of thousands of forces on heightened alert across the Alliance, one hundred thousand US troops in Europe and around 40,000 troops under direct NATO command, mostly in the eastern part of the Alliance, backed by major air and naval power as well as air defences. All of this sends an unmistakable message: an attack on one Ally will be met with a decisive response from the whole Alliance,” he said.
When ministers meet on Wednesday, they will discuss a number of concrete measures to reinforce Allies security for the longer-term. The Secretary General said this could include “substantially more forces in the eastern part of the Alliance”, as well as major increases to air and naval deployments, strengthened air and missile defence, reinforced cyber defences, and more and larger exercises. He underlined that this will require major increases in defence investment, and welcomed the efforts of Allies who have already announced increases.
The Ukrainian Defence Minister will participate in tomorrow’s meeting, as will Georgia, Finland, Sweden, and the European Union.
