{"id":26189,"date":"2022-08-02T22:23:21","date_gmt":"2022-08-02T22:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/08\/02\/nato-fortifies-eastern-europes-defenses-under-new-air-shielding-mission\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:50:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:50:15","slug":"nato-fortifies-eastern-europes-defenses-under-new-air-shielding-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2022\/08\/02\/nato-fortifies-eastern-europes-defenses-under-new-air-shielding-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"NATO fortifies Eastern Europe\u2019s defenses under new \u2018air shielding\u2019 mission"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NATO is building up its defenses in Eastern Europe to fend off Russian aggression in a new effort it calls \u201cair shielding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 30-country transatlantic alliance has long flown \u201cair policing\u201d missions that dispatch fighter jets to keep unfriendly aircraft at bay. Air shielding, however, began in response to Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, a neighbor it shares with NATO nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNATO air shielding is an increased air and missile defense posture along the alliance\u2019s eastern flank, implemented in the wake of Russia\u2019s war on Ukraine. It is purely defensive,\u201d a NATO military official told Air Force Times on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/photo-galleries\/2022\/03\/06\/ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The policy brings together disparate allied air and missile defense units under NATO\u2019s command, rather than relying on them in a more reactive, piecemeal fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt will provide a near-seamless shield from the Baltic to the Black Sea, ensuring NATO allies are better able to safeguard and protect alliance territory, populations and forces,\u201d the alliance said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Organization leaders say that Russia\u2019s unprovoked assault on the former Soviet territory, now in its sixth month, has fundamentally altered European security. Stronger defenses will remain in place for the long run as a result, said Allied Air Command deputy commander Lt. Gen. Pascal Delerce in a July 21 press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As fighting continues, NATO is concerned about errant missiles straying into its territory and about the manned combat aircraft and drones flying near its borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis increases the air and missile threat to NATO territory and populations, primarily due to potential miscalculation or loss of guidance or control,\u201d the organization said July 28.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/02\/25\/us-nato-air-forces-mobilize-as-war-comes-to-europe\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1000w_q95-26-1.jpg-1.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US, NATO air forces mobilize as war comes to Europe<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cThe United States set the tone for this type of attack in 1991 in the opening hours of [Operation] Desert Storm,\u201d Air Force Lt. Col. Tyson Wetzel said Wednesday. \u201cIt is a methodology that still works today.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Article 5 of the group\u2019s founding treaty, an attack on one ally is seen as an attack on all allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tom Karako, a missile defense expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, believes it indicates growing worries about an intentional Russian attack elsewhere in Europe, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Multiple American and European missile defense units have arrived in countries bordering Russia or Ukraine over the past few months. Air shielding deployments can last up to several months at air bases and other locations across Eastern Europe, the NATO official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States, Germany and the Netherlands have set up Patriot anti-missile systems in Slovakia and Poland; France brought its \u201cMamba\u201d surface-to-air missile defense system to Romania; and Spain is operating its National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System in Latvia. The equipment can take out cruise and ballistic missiles as well as manned and unmanned aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll of these systems have been added this year,\u201d the military official confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/01\/27\/us-air-force-ramps-up-intel-flights-weapons-shipments-to-ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1000w_q95-1-2.jpg-2.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US Air Force ramps up intel flights, weapons shipments to Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Flight trackers have spotted American Rivet Joint, Global Hawk, Reaper and Joint STARS aircraft, plus allied assets.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, it\u2019s far short of the allied defensive buildup during the Cold War, Karako said. The focus on advanced air and missile defenses has waned as the U.S. instead prioritized counterterrorism operations for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re now seeing just how disproportionate our air defense investments have been relative to the threat when it becomes palpable,\u201d he said. \u201cA small number of air defenses over the eastern flank is, in the face of a real threat, astonishingly limited.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additional fighter jets are bolstering eastern defenses as well. The U.S. recently sent its F-35A Lightning II jets from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, to Estonia, and F-22 Raptor fighters from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, to Poland as part of the expanding mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions,\u201d the Air Force said in a June 27 release. \u201cIt cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft, making it a highly strategic platform to support NATO air shielding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/02\/19\/us-air-force-would-face-tough-choices-in-russian-air-assault-on-ukraine\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1000w_q95-15-3.jpg-3.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US Air Force would face tough choices in Russian air assault on Ukraine<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Military experts in the U.S. are urging Western nations to bolster Ukraine\u2019s air defenses, fearing that Russia will swiftly take over its former territory\u2019s airspace.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">American F\/A-18 jets and Czech Gripen fighters are also currently deployed in support of air shielding, the NATO official said. German, Hungarian and Italian fighters are patrolling the skies over the Baltic states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis comes on top of other NATO deployments, including our standing air policing missions, and air and missile defense elements deployed to support our battlegroups,\u201d the official said. \u201cOur allied fighters are on alert 24\/7 to respond to aircraft which may pose a threat in or near allied airspace or challenge the integrity of NATO airspace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the beginning of March, more than 100 combat aircraft were assigned to air policing shifts \u2014 almost twice as many as there were in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">NATO did not provide an update on how many aircraft are tasked with air policing or shielding, or how many interactions Russian and allied jets have recently had.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Air policing planes identify and address renegade aircraft, such as when allied pilots intercept Russian military jets that veer near their airspace or if a civilian plane is unresponsive or hijacked. They\u2019re not allowed to fire unless fired upon when flying over a foreign country; most interdictions take place without incident and do not enter allied airspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/03\/04\/around-the-clock-nato-air-patrols-fly-to-keep-russia-at-bay\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/IMG_0260.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Around-the-clock NATO air patrols fly to keep Russia at bay<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">NATO has nearly doubled the usual number of military jets on alert across Europe.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine, plus its threats against other non-NATO countries, spurred Finland and Sweden to ask to join the alliance in May. Their membership will become official once each allied country individually approves the decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Georgia also want to join.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United Nations has recorded more than 12,500 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including over 5,000 deaths, since the war began Feb. 24. It believes the true toll is much higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. intelligence estimates another 15,000 Russian troops have died, while the Ukrainian government said earlier this summer that up to 200 Ukrainian service members were being killed each day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stronger air and missile defenses will remain in place in Eastern Europe for the long run, a NATO official said last month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":58451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":46,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[7,160,46,11,14,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3484],"class_list":["post-26189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-air","category-daily-news-roundup","category-europe","category-global","category-land","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"V5ALAI4YFRDOPDKT4DZ4MEYMGU","arc_canonical_url":"\/flashpoints\/2022\/08\/02\/nato-fortifies-eastern-europes-defenses-under-new-air-shielding-mission\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>NATO fortifies Eastern Europe\u2019s defenses under new \u2018air shielding\u2019 mission - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Stronger air and missile defenses will remain in place in Eastern Europe for the long run, a NATO official said last month.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NATO fortifies Eastern Europe\u2019s defenses under new \u2018air shielding\u2019 mission\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Stronger air and missile defenses will remain in place in Eastern Europe for the long run, a NATO official said last month.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/global\/europe\/2022\/08\/02\/nato-fortifies-eastern-europes-defenses-under-new-air-shielding-mission\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-08-02T22:23:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T20:50:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rachel S. Cohen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rachel S. 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