NATO carried out the necessary calculations at the end of 2023The British newspaper obtained the results from a senior official whose name was not mentioned.
The military alliance was investigating what would happen if an unnamed enemy country (apparently Russia) launched a large-scale attack on NATO.
They concluded that the alliance would not be able to provide adequate protection for the eastern member states, as only 5% of the air defense capacity required for this was available.
Air defense is one of our biggest weaknesses. undeniable”
Another NATO official told the newspaper.
NATO is mainly concerned about Russian drones, cruise bombs and missiles, and confronting them causes problems for Ukraine, which is equipped with many modern air defense systems. NATO's position is complicated by the fact that many of its air defense systems and associated expensive missiles have been delivered to Ukraine.
The ability to strike at long range is no longer available only to great powers.
A Western military commander said.
This analysis is expected to be a major topic at the upcoming NATO summit in July, and member states will also discuss how they can strengthen the air defense of the eastern flank. Many NATO leaders believe that by the end of 2020, Russia may become strong enough to attack one of the alliance's countries.
Cover image source: Bernd Wüstneck/picture Alliance via Getty Images
