European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI)

The European Sky Shield Initiative is a German-led framework for European countries to jointly buy and integrate interoperable, off-the-shelf ground-based air and missile defence systems that strengthen NATO's integrated air and missile defence. Defence ministers of 14 NATO Allies and Finland signed the letter of intent on 13 October 2022, Denmark and Sweden joined in February 2023, and the group has since grown to more than 20 countries, including Austria and Switzerland, while France, Italy and Spain have stayed out. The planned layers run from close-range systems such as Skyranger 30 through IRIS-T SLM, NASAMS and Patriot to Arrow 3, which Germany contracted in November 2023.