By James Johnson
22/12/2025
In the context of Ukraine’s experience and achievements during the war, the German initiative “European Air Shield” takes on new significance.
Today, Europe is at a turning point. Its democratic values and peaceful way of life are under threat, and this threat is growing rapidly. Autocratic regimes, including those in Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, are rapidly increasing their military capabilities. They share the common goal of challenging the West and appear to be preparing for direct confrontation in the medium term.
Against this backdrop, recent political developments also suggest that Europe can no longer rely entirely on the United States to ensure airspace security, and will instead have to rely primarily on its own forces. European countries must therefore learn to protect their cities, ports and energy facilities from air attacks independently.
Europe cannot afford the illusion of security while an alliance of undemocratic states is preparing for war. The idea that a ‘great war’ could not happen on the continent again after 1945 was shattered in February 2022, and repeating this mistake would be to deliberately ignore the lessons of history.
This is precisely why the German European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) is not merely a proposal, but an absolute necessity for the survival and sovereignty of our continent. It is a highly effective system designed to provide Europe with multi-layered, integrated air and missile defence. The initiative has already brought together more than two dozen European countries that have agreed to plan the procurement of air defence systems jointly, unify standards for their use and integrate national radars and command posts into a single control circuit. In fact, the ESSI is set to provide Europe with an “umbrella”, whereby each country is responsible for its own section of the sky, yet all elements work together as a single system.
Espionage scandals, attempts at influence and cyberattacks are all symptoms of undemocratic states’ aggressive intent to undermine European order. However, the most dangerous aspect is their ability to carry out massive, high-tech air strikes.
Russia is not shy about deploying its entire arsenal, ranging from Kinzhal hypersonic missiles to thousands of kamikaze drones. If war in Europe is inevitable, the most likely scenario is a clash between one or more European countries and Russia, which has already tested the vulnerability of their air defence systems through force, particularly by launching drone attacks on Polish and Romanian territory.
China is demonstrating its ambition to become a dominant global military power, and its technologies are rapidly approaching Western standards. Meanwhile, Iran and North Korea supply weapons to aggressors, and their own missile programmes pose a direct threat to Europe’s southern and eastern borders. The use of Iranian kamikaze drones and North Korean missiles in the war against Ukraine means these countries are already indirectly testing Europe’s defence capabilities.
Germany is offering a solution among the available systems: the integration of IRIS-T (medium range), Patriot (long range) and Arrow 3 (strategic missile defence) under a single command. This will avoid duplication, minimise costs, and most importantly create an impenetrable shield. Combined with national short-range air defence systems, it will enable the development of a multi-layered defence against both drones and missiles.
For the success of ESSI, experience is as important as technology. Given the current situation, it is not only expedient, but absolutely critical, for Ukraine to participate in the German initiative. Although Ukraine is not a member of the EU or NATO, it is already integrated into Western defence chains through the supply of air defence systems, intelligence sharing and logistics coordination. If Ukraine were to be absent from ESSI, the most experienced partner in real air warfare would be excluded from the planning and standardisation processes, inevitably reducing the effectiveness of Europe’s collective defence.
Today, Ukraine is not just a battlefield; it is also a cutting-edge testing ground and a source of unique operational knowledge. Its contribution to ESSI could be multifaceted and, without exaggeration, vital for establishing a truly sustainable European defence. Massive daily attacks on Ukrainian cities force the country’s air defence systems to operate in conditions similar to those that European capitals may face in the event of a major crisis. The war in Ukraine is characterised by a race for innovation between offensive weapons, especially drones, and defensive weapons, especially electronic warfare and air defence. The cycle of developing and implementing new technologies has been reduced to a matter of weeks or months. Whereas previously years could pass between the emergence of a new threat and the response to it, this interval has now been reduced to one or two months, and sometimes even weeks. Ukraine’s experience demonstrates that the capacity to swiftly update software, adapt air defence and electronic warfare tactics, and trial new interceptor systems in live combat scenarios is becoming as crucial as the availability of these systems.
Ukraine has unparalleled experience in countering the full range of modern air threats, including cruise and ballistic missiles (such as the Kinzhal and Iskander) and Shahed-type kamikaze drones. No other NATO country possesses such knowledge regarding the practical use of high-precision and hypersonic missiles. Ukrainian experts can provide detailed data on the trajectories and flight profiles of these missiles, as well as their typical ‘windows of vulnerability’ in combat conditions. They can also provide information on how the effectiveness of various air defence systems changes depending on the strike configuration and weather conditions. This information could inform ESSI practices and help to avoid errors in the development and modernisation of European missile defence systems.
Ukraine’s unique expertise in organising effective anti-drone defences using mobile fire groups, ‘drone walls’ and electronic warfare systems is crucial for safeguarding critical EU infrastructure.
Ukraine can also share its advanced experience of using and integrating various air defence systems in real combat conditions, enabling vulnerabilities to be swiftly identified and rectified. Despite a constant shortage of resources, the Ukrainian military has learned to optimise the joint operation of Soviet, German (IRIS-T, the pride of Germany and Europe, which was tested in combat conditions here and proved its extremely high efficiency) and American (Patriot) systems. This is an invaluable lesson for ESSI integration.
Ukraine is already involved in the exchange of intelligence data with NATO countries, forming the basis of a pan-European early warning system.
The Ukrainian military-industrial complex also has considerable potential. It can offer innovative technologies, particularly in the area of countering UAVs. Over the years of war in Ukraine, dozens of new solutions have emerged, ranging from radio-electronic suppression systems to mobile platforms for detecting and intercepting drones. These solutions have been developed and adapted to the real needs of the front line in the shortest possible time. Involving Ukrainian companies in joint European R&D projects within the framework of ESSI would combine combat experience with the industrial capabilities of EU countries, reducing dependence on external arms suppliers.
Therefore, accelerating the implementation of the European Air Shield programme is now critically important, and Ukraine’s contribution could be multifaceted and critically important, especially if it is directly involved in European air defence projects, given its unique combat experience in repelling massive air attacks and applying the latest technologies.