BRUSSELS, October 19. /TASS/. NATO has "quietly shifted" from air policing missions in the Baltic states, Benelux, the Balkans, and Iceland to "a unified 360-degree air defense system," which, however, lacks the necessary capabilities, first and foremost the actual means of detecting and intercepting aerial targets, Deputy Commander of NATO Allied Air Command Lieutenant General Guillaume Thomas said in an interview with the Brussels-based portal Rapporteur.
According to him, since last fall, NATO has been conducting a "single mission that is able to cover a 360-degree approach." He explained that this mission has brought together the disparate "air policing" (air patrol) missions in various NATO regions and the system for countering drones and missiles, placing them under a single command.
However, according to Thomas, apart from the change in the command structure, NATO’s new air defense mission has not received additional military resources or staff capabilities to improve coordination among the various air defense components.
Therefore, Thomas acknowledged that NATO’s air defense is lacking in everything: "We need modern tools for our command and control system. We also need sensors and a high-low mix of effectors for this 360 approach, which is a big, big challenge," Thomas said.
The general emphasized that the challenge is not only technological but also industrial, and called on NATO countries to invest in, develop, and produce more air defense systems.