NPR

Germany is launching the largest air defense modernization program in the history of the Bundeswehr, focusing on mass and layered defense against missiles, drones, and aircraft.

The trigger was the wars in Europe and the Middle East, where even irregular or special forces demonstrated the ability to strike hundreds of kilometers away, disabling infrastructure and paralyzing entire regions.

As part of the lower echelon, it is planned to purchase up to 600 Skyranger self-propelled guns with 30-mm automatic cannons and MBDA DefendAir missiles to destroy drones and helicopters.

The ammunition for Skyranger alone is estimated at up to 4.5 million shells and 135 thousand missiles.

For the higher echelon and support of more serious air defense systems - up to 100 mobile short-range air defense systems with Iris-T SLS missiles.

The middle echelon is expected to be reinforced by at least 12 Iris-T SLM batteries and the prospective Iris-T SLX with a range of up to 80 km.

The high-altitude defense will be supplemented by up to 17 Patriot batteries in the C3+ configuration (including replacing three transferred to Ukraine), over 1,000 GEM-T and PAC-3 MSE missiles, as well as the latest Israeli Arrow 4 system covering the exoatmospheric zone.

In parallel, the Bundeswehr is currently purchasing and contracting 3,000 Stinger MANPADS, planning to establish their production in the EU in the future.

The full implementation of the program, including the preparation of calculations and the creation of infrastructure, will take at least 10 years, but will allow Germany to defend not only itself, but also its allies within NATO in the framework of various operational deployments.

@yigal_levin

Hellraiser wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 3:57 pm

Germany is launching the largest air defense modernization program in the history of the Bundeswehr, focusing on mass and layered defense against missiles, drones, and aircraft.

The trigger was the wars in Europe and the Middle East, where even irregular or special forces demonstrated the ability to strike hundreds of kilometers away, disabling infrastructure and paralyzing entire regions.

As part of the lower echelon, it is planned to purchase up to 600 Skyranger self-propelled guns with 30-mm automatic cannons and MBDA DefendAir missiles to destroy drones and helicopters.

The ammunition for Skyranger alone is estimated at up to 4.5 million shells and 135 thousand missiles.

For the higher echelon and support of more serious air defense systems - up to 100 mobile short-range air defense systems with Iris-T SLS missiles.

The middle echelon is expected to be reinforced by at least 12 Iris-T SLM batteries and the prospective Iris-T SLX with a range of up to 80 km.

The high-altitude defense will be supplemented by up to 17 Patriot batteries in the C3+ configuration (including replacing three transferred to Ukraine), over 1,000 GEM-T and PAC-3 MSE missiles, as well as the latest Israeli Arrow 4 system covering the exoatmospheric zone.

In parallel, the Bundeswehr is currently purchasing and contracting 3,000 Stinger MANPADS, planning to establish their production in the EU in the future.

The full implementation of the program, including the preparation of calculations and the creation of infrastructure, will take at least 10 years, but will allow Germany to defend not only itself, but also its allies within NATO in the framework of various operational deployments.

@yigal_levin

Exclusive | China tells EU it does not want to see Russia lose its war in Ukraine: sources
Wang Yi speaks of concern that US could shift whole focus in China’s direction in talks with top EU diplomat Beijing

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat on Wednesday that Beijing does not want to see a Russian loss in Ukraine because it fears the United States would then shift its whole focus to Beijing, according to several people familiar with the exchange.

The comment, to the EU’s Kaja Kallas, would confirm what many in Brussels believe to be Beijing’s position but jar with China’s public utterances. The foreign minstry regularly says China is “not a party” to the war. Some EU officials involved were surprised by the frankness of Wang’s remarks.

Wang is said to have rejected, however, the accusation that China was materially supporting Russia’s war effort, financially or militarily, insisting that if it was doing so, the conflict would have ended long ago.

“I’ll be talking to Zelensky on Friday. But honestly, I was very disappointed with my call with Putin. Frankly, it feels like Putin is just… not there anymore. I don’t see any willingness to stop. And that’s very bad. Really. Just being honest, he doesn’t seem like someone who wants to end this war,” Trump said.

Sandstorm wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 4:25 pm

Hellraiser wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 3:57 pm

Germany is launching the largest air defense modernization program in the history of the Bundeswehr, focusing on mass and layered defense against missiles, drones, and aircraft.

The trigger was the wars in Europe and the Middle East, where even irregular or special forces demonstrated the ability to strike hundreds of kilometers away, disabling infrastructure and paralyzing entire regions.

As part of the lower echelon, it is planned to purchase up to 600 Skyranger self-propelled guns with 30-mm automatic cannons and MBDA DefendAir missiles to destroy drones and helicopters.

The ammunition for Skyranger alone is estimated at up to 4.5 million shells and 135 thousand missiles.

For the higher echelon and support of more serious air defense systems - up to 100 mobile short-range air defense systems with Iris-T SLS missiles.

The middle echelon is expected to be reinforced by at least 12 Iris-T SLM batteries and the prospective Iris-T SLX with a range of up to 80 km.

The high-altitude defense will be supplemented by up to 17 Patriot batteries in the C3+ configuration (including replacing three transferred to Ukraine), over 1,000 GEM-T and PAC-3 MSE missiles, as well as the latest Israeli Arrow 4 system covering the exoatmospheric zone.

In parallel, the Bundeswehr is currently purchasing and contracting 3,000 Stinger MANPADS, planning to establish their production in the EU in the future.

The full implementation of the program, including the preparation of calculations and the creation of infrastructure, will take at least 10 years, but will allow Germany to defend not only itself, but also its allies within NATO in the framework of various operational deployments.

@yigal_levin

It's a pity we have to spend all that money and resources on weapons instead of non-lethal tech like renewables or new medical breakthroughs.