What Is the European Sky Shield Initiative?

The European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) is a German-led framework through which European states buy the same ground-based air and missile defence systems together, so they get them faster, cheaper and in a form that plugs into NATO’s integrated air and missile defence. Proposed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in August 2022 and launched with a memorandum of understanding signed by 15 nations at NATO headquarters on 13 October 2022, it now has 23 participating states. Its core menu is German IRIS-T SLM/SLS for short and medium range, US Patriot for long range and, for Germany, the Israeli Arrow 3 for ballistic missiles outside the atmosphere. France, Italy and Spain are not members; Poland has said it would cooperate but is not on Berlin’s official list.

Why this matters

ESSI is the largest attempt so far to coordinate what European governments spend on ground-based air defence. It is not a single shield with one command post, and it is not an EU programme. It is a purchasing club: Germany’s procurement agency, the BAAINBw in Koblenz, signs contracts with industry on behalf of partner states, who then pay for and operate their own systems. The German Ministry of Defence sums up the logic plainly: ordering the same systems in larger quantities lowers costs, and the focus is on systems already on the market so that capability arrives quickly.

The results are now measurable. Eight ESSI states have ordered IRIS-T SLM through the framework, Germany declared its first Arrow 3 battery operational in December 2025, and the first Baltic IRIS-T SLM fire unit was handed to Estonia in June 2026.

European context

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine exposed how thin Europe’s ground-based air defence had become after the Cold War. Scholz set out the idea in a speech in Prague in August 2022, and the founding memorandum followed two months later on the margins of a NATO defence ministers’ meeting. The 15 founding signatories were Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Kingdom.

Membership grew in four waves: Denmark and Sweden in February 2023; the neutral states Austria and Switzerland, which signed letters of intent on 7 July 2023; Greece and Türkiye, whose defence ministers signed letters of intent in Brussels on 15 February 2024; and Albania and Portugal, announced at the NATO defence ministers’ meeting in February 2025. The German ministry and Diehl Defence both put the total at 23 as of mid-2026.

ESSI sits inside NATO rather than beside it. Systems bought through the framework are meant to feed NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence (NATINAMDS), and the initiative is presented by Berlin as a contribution to closing gaps NATO had identified. The European Union’s own funding tools are separate: nothing in the public record shows EU money earmarked for ESSI as such.

The three layers

ESSI buys existing products rather than developing new ones. Each layer is covered by one main system, although members remain free to buy others nationally.

IRIS-T SLM, which Diehl rates at up to 40 km range and 20 km altitude, is the workhorse and the system most partners have actually ordered. Patriot is covered in detail in our Patriot specifications, variants and operators guide. Arrow 3 is Germany’s national choice for the top layer; no other ESSI member has announced an Arrow 3 purchase. It is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles above the atmosphere, a different task from defending against the manoeuvring threats covered in our explainer on hypersonic missiles and the defences against them.

ESSI members in 2026

The table lists all 23 participating states named by the German Ministry of Defence, with purchases made through the ESSI framework where they are publicly documented. “No ESSI order” means membership without a published ESSI-framework contract; many of these states operate other air defence systems bought nationally.

Two points need care. First, “joined” dates reflect the first signature; Austria signed the memorandum itself in May 2024 and Switzerland on 17 October 2024. Second, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) buy of up to 1,000 Patriot GEM-T missiles, awarded in January 2024 for Germany, the Netherlands, Romania and Spain, is a NATO contract, not an ESSI one. It is often reported alongside ESSI because it serves the same goal, but Spain, one of its buyers, is not an ESSI member.

Who stayed out, and why

France

France is the most vocal critic. On 19 June 2023, Emmanuel Macron hosted an air defence conference in Paris, attended by ministers from about 20 countries, which was widely read as a response to ESSI. He argued that Europe should buy and build its own systems and said the German approach was “preparing problems for tomorrow”, pointing to its reliance on US and Israeli equipment. Paris backs SAMP/T NG, built by the Franco-Italian Eurosam consortium.

Italy and Spain

Italy has not joined and has not published a detailed rationale. It co-develops SAMP/T NG with France, which gives it an industrial reason to favour that system. Spain is also outside ESSI, although it takes part in the NSPA Patriot missile buy.

Poland

Under the Law and Justice government, Warsaw declined to join, arguing its air defence should rest on its own Wisła (Patriot) and Narew programmes. On 16 April 2024 Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland would “cooperate as part of” ESSI while pressing ahead with those national programmes. As of mid-2026, however, Poland does not appear among the 23 participants listed by the German Ministry of Defence, and no Polish ESSI signature has been published.

Austria, Switzerland and neutrality

Both neutral states joined on the condition that neutrality comes first. When they signed letters of intent on 7 July 2023, Vienna and Bern issued a joint declaration setting out their reservations under neutrality law. Switzerland went further: its memorandum includes a suspension clause allowing it to withdraw from cooperation if another participant becomes party to an international armed conflict. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said publicly that Berlin fully respects Swiss neutrality. In practice, both countries treat ESSI as a way to buy through a larger order book, not as an alliance commitment. Switzerland has used it for IRIS-T SLM; Austria had not chosen a medium-range system by the time of writing.

Türkiye’s status

Türkiye’s position is documented narrowly. Defence Minister Yaşar Güler signed a letter of intent to join ESSI in Brussels on 15 February 2024, alongside Greece’s Nikos Dendias, at a ceremony hosted by Pistorius. Güler described the initiative as a step towards meeting NATO requirements while ensuring interoperability. Türkiye is counted among the 23 participants, but no Turkish purchase through the ESSI framework has been published, and there is no documented ESSI link to SAMP/T. Ankara continues to field its own systems, such as HİSAR and SİPER, under its national Steel Dome (Çelik Kubbe) architecture.

Industrial players and production capacity

Diehl Defence (IRIS-T)

Diehl Defence is the main industrial winner. The company says it is investing about €1.5 billion to expand capacity across its sites. At the opening of a new 3,400 m² missile integration building at Nonnweiler in Saarland in September 2026, it set out its targets: about 10 IRIS-T SLM fire units in 2026, rising to 16 a year within two years, and a missile rate heading towards 2,000 a year. Its radar partner for IRIS-T SLM is Hensoldt, whose TRML-4D radar is also German-made.

Raytheon, MBDA Deutschland and COMLOG (Patriot)

Patriot fire units come from Raytheon in the US. The European industrial piece is COMLOG, a 50/50 joint venture of MBDA Deutschland and Raytheon at Schrobenhausen in Bavaria, which won the NSPA contract worth up to $5.6 billion for up to 1,000 GEM-T missiles. Germany’s newer PAC-3 MSE interceptors come from Lockheed Martin; reports in July 2026 said Berlin was seeking US approval for licensed PAC-3 MSE production in Germany, but no agreement has been announced. For MBDA’s wider portfolio see our MBDA company profile.

Israel Aerospace Industries (Arrow 3)

Arrow 3 is contracted government to government, with IAI as prime contractor. The original deal was signed in September 2023 at about $3.5 billion. On 17 December 2025 the Bundestag budget committee approved an expansion, and IAI announced a follow-on contract worth about $3.1 billion, taking the programme above $6.5 billion.

Very short range

ESSI’s own layers stop at short range. Germany covers the closest layer nationally with Rheinmetall’s Skyranger 30; see our Rheinmetall company profile.

Procurement status in 2026

• Germany, IRIS-T SLM: six fire units contracted in June 2023 for about €950 million; the first was accepted in August 2024 and entered service with the Luftwaffe that autumn. Further missiles, with an opening clause for ESSI partners, were approved in December 2025.
• Germany, Patriot: two Raytheon contracts of about $1.2 billion each in March and July 2024, covering eight fire units in total. The December 2025 package added PAC-3 MSE missiles.
• Germany, Arrow 3: initial operational capability declared on 3 December 2025, the first exo-atmospheric interceptor fielded by a European state. Full operational capability is planned for around 2030.
• Estonia: first IRIS-T SLM fire unit delivered on 22 June 2026.
• Sweden: seven IRIS-T SLM fire units ordered in June 2025 for about SEK 9 billion, with delivery from mid-2028 to 2030; IRIS-T SLS equipment followed later in 2025.
• Denmark: IRIS-T SLM chosen as an interim solution in July 2025, with further fire units contracted in Koblenz on 4 December 2025.
• Switzerland: five IRIS-T SLM systems ordered through ESSI for about CHF 500 million, after Federal Council approval on 20 June 2025.

Competing and alternative systems

SAMP/T NG is the European long-range alternative to Patriot, built by Eurosam (MBDA and Thales) and managed by OCCAR. Denmark became its first export customer on 21 April 2026, reported at about €1.46 billion for four systems. That purchase sits outside ESSI, and Denmark buys IRIS-T SLM inside it, which shows members are not locked into one supplier.

NASAMS, from Kongsberg and Raytheon, is already in service with several ESSI members, including Norway, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Hungary, and competes directly with IRIS-T SLM for medium-range orders.

CAMM, MBDA’s Common Anti-air Modular Missile, is used by the UK and Poland; it has not been bought through ESSI.

Steel Dome is Türkiye’s national layered architecture built around ASELSAN and Roketsan systems. It is a separate national programme, not an ESSI product.

What changes next

• Deliveries: most ESSI orders deliver between 2026 and 2030, so the initiative’s physical footprint will grow sharply in the next four years.
• Arrow 3 expansion: the December 2025 follow-on contract adds launchers and missiles, with full capability targeted for around 2030.
• Production rates: Diehl’s move from about 10 to 16 IRIS-T SLM fire units a year will decide how quickly newer members can be served.
• Membership: Berlin says more European partners have been invited. Whether Poland formalises its 2024 pledge, and whether Austria picks a medium-range system, are the questions to watch.

Frequently asked questions

Which countries are in the European Sky Shield Initiative?

23 states: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

When will the European Sky Shield be finished?

There is no single completion date because each country buys and fields its own systems. Germany’s Arrow 3 reached initial capability in December 2025 with full capability planned for around 2030, and most IRIS-T SLM orders deliver between 2026 and 2030.

Is Poland part of ESSI?

Poland announced in April 2024 that it would cooperate within ESSI, but it is not among the 23 participants listed by the German Ministry of Defence as of 2026.

Is Türkiye a member of the European Sky Shield Initiative?

Yes. Türkiye signed a letter of intent on 15 February 2024 and is counted among the participants, but no Turkish purchase through ESSI has been published.

Why is France not in the European Sky Shield?

France objects to ESSI’s reliance on US and Israeli systems and argues Europe should favour European products such as SAMP/T NG, which it builds with Italy.

Can neutral Austria and Switzerland join ESSI?

They have. Both joined with a declaration on neutrality, and Switzerland’s memorandum includes a clause allowing it to suspend cooperation if another participant enters an international armed conflict.

Is the European Sky Shield for Ukraine?

No. ESSI protects its members’ own territory. The separate “European Sky Shield for Ukraine” is an unofficial proposal, first put forward in 2024, for European fighter aircraft to protect western Ukraine; it is not related to the German-led ESSI.

Does ESSI include SAMP/T?

SAMP/T is not one of ESSI’s core systems. Denmark, an ESSI member, has bought SAMP/T NG, but outside the ESSI framework.

Sources

• German Ministry of Defence: European Sky Shield, the initiative at a glance
• German Ministry of Defence: Austria and Switzerland join ESSI (July 2023)
• hartpunkt: Albania and Portugal join ESSI (February 2025)
• Swiss Federal Council: Switzerland signs declaration of accession to ESSI (October 2024)
• armasuisse: GBAD MR cooperative procurement contract signed (2025)
• Anadolu Agency: Turkish and Greek defence chiefs sign letter of intent (February 2024)
• Defense News: Poland to join European Sky Shield scheme (April 2024)
• Air Force Times / AP: Macron urges Europe to develop its own air defence (June 2023)
• Janes: Germany declares Arrow Weapon System IOC (December 2025)
• Defence Industry Europe: IAI signs $3.1bn Arrow 3 follow-on contract
• Raytheon: $1.2bn contract for additional Patriot systems for Germany (July 2024)
• Raytheon / PR Newswire: NSPA awards COMLOG a contract for Patriot missiles (January 2024)
• Diehl Defence: first IRIS-T SLM fire unit delivered to Estonia (June 2026)
• Diehl Defence: Denmark procures additional IRIS-T SLM fire units (December 2025)
• Breaking Defense: Sweden inks $900m IRIS-T deal through ESSI (June 2025)
• Defence Industry Europe: Bulgaria signs IRIS-T SLM contract (October 2024)
• German Ministry of Defence: Bundestag approves procurement projects (December 2025)
• Army Technology: Denmark signs first export contract for SAMP/T NG (April 2026)