“Across Europe, there is far too little attention to airborne threats,” said Brigadier General Reinhard Kraft, an air defense expert for the armed forces. With “Sky Shield”, a satellite-supported protective screen is placed above the participating countries, which can detect and repel drones and missiles at an early stage. “Austria would do well to participate in this initiative,” says the air defense expert.
According to Kraft, Austria’s weapon systems are very outdated and would be “powerless against fighter jets, for example”. In particular, the Russian offensive war in Ukraine has shown that whoever controls the airspace can achieve superiority. As the brigadier general explains in the krone.tv interview with Jürgen Winterleitner, there are gaps in the protection of military targets and the population against such airborne threats in Austria and Europe: “In Austria, this gap can only be closed with Sky Shield,” says the military expert.
Brigadier Kraft does not want to see joining Sky Shield as a rapprochement with NATO. The Trump presidency has shown that Europe simply needs to take more responsibility for its own defense again.
“Backbone of Sky Shield in Europe”
But where would the weapon systems needed for Sky Shield be obtained? According to Kraft, long distances would be necessary to defend against ballistic missile systems. “These weapon systems, these technologies do not exist in Europe at the moment,” says the brigadier. According to him, the weapon systems needed for Sky Shield will have to come from Israel (Iron Dome) or the US (Patriot). “The backbone of Sky Shield in Europe will be built into these systems,” said Brigadier General Reinhard Kraft.
You can see the whole video with Reinhard Kraft in the video above.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
