NATO to boost air and missile defense investments
to counter Russia
By Joe Gould
Oct 21, 10:53 PM
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg offers opening remarks at the meeting of NATO defense ministers on Oct. 21 at alliance headquarters in Brussels.
BRUSSELS ― NATO’s forthcoming plans to
deter Russia includes “significant improvements to our air and missile
defenses” as well as fifth-generation jets, alliance Secretary General Jens
Stoltenberg said Thursday.
“Today, ministers endorsed a new overarching plan
to defend our alliance in crisis and conflict, to make sure that we continue to
have the right forces at the right place at the right time,” Stoltenberg told
reporters Thursday, capping the first day of NATO’s two-day defense ministerial
meeting.
The defense ministers of alliance-member countries
committed to the new NATO “capability targets,” negotiated as part of the
alliance’s regular defense planning cycle. A source said the alliance plans to
invest in missile systems like the Raytheon Technologies-built Patriot and the
SAMP/T air defense system made by Eurosam.
“We are implementing a balanced package of
political and military measures to respond to this threat,” Stoltenberg said.
“This includes significant improvements to our air
and missile defenses, strengthening our conventional capabilities with
fifth-generation jets, adapting our exercises and intelligence and improving
the readiness and effectiveness of our nuclear deterrent,” he added.
Members agreed to “have more forces which are
heavier and more high-end capabilities,” as well as more advanced forces to
“exploit emerging and disruptive technologies,” Stoltenberg said.
The members approved plans for exercises,
intelligence activities, artificial intelligence standards and technological
innovation ― as well as the plan for thousands of mutually agreed upon targets.
“This is a key aspect of NATO cooperation that we
actually agreed to specific targets and allies deliver them. That’s also one of
the reasons why we need to continue to see increased defense spending,”
Stoltenberg said.
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