Europe's five largest defence powers are teaming up on a multi-million-euro project to bring low-cost air-defence systems such as autonomous drones or missiles into production within 12 months, ministers meeting in Krakow, Poland, said on Friday (20 February).
The war in Ukraine has shown how autonomous interceptor drones can provide an effective alternative to costly air-defence missiles and Kyiv's European allies are keen to learn from its experience.
The European Group of Five Defence Ministers brings together top military spenders France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Britain.
The ministers met as European leaders seek to boost defence capabilities amid growing doubts about Washington's commitment to protecting the continent.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Friday that a European version of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance of English-speaking countries was being considered as a way to respond more effectively to threats posed by Russia.
Speaking at the meeting in Krakow alongside his counterparts from Poland, France, Britain and Italy, Pistorius said discussions were ongoing.
"What can we do next? One idea could be to consider a joint tanker fleet or multi-domain task force, or even a European version of Five Eyes," he said.
"It's a multi-million pound, multi-million euro commitment ... to step up this technology," Britain's Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard said.
"We're really hopeful that this will produce an effector that... will be in production within 12 months."
In military terminology, “effectors” are the components of a system that produce a physical effect, while “autonomous platforms” are unmanned systems capable of independent decision-making.
The 'Low-Cost Effectors and Autonomous Platforms' initiative, known as LEAP, focuses on developing advanced low-cost air-defence systems, including autonomous drones and missiles.
The first project is expected to be delivered by 2027, the UK government said in a separate statement.
"We have just signed a very important commitment on the joint development of drone-based strike capabilities, low-cost, joint production, and joint procurement of low-cost drone effectors and payloads," Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
"This is the challenge of our times - technologies are changing... and we must respond very quickly."
The Iranian national football team is set to arrive in North America for the World Cup after finally securing travel documents, but a dispute over U.S...
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million peop...
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships ...
The U.S. plans to seek the redirection of Iranian assets to Gulf states to help fund reconstruction and repairs for damage attributed to Iran, a sourc...
At least a dozen people were wounded, two critically, on Saturday (6 June) in Toledo, Ohio, as two shooters traded gunfire, police said....
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 7 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said Russian forces attacked two civilian search and rescue vessels operating in Ukrainian waters on Saturday, leaving several people injured.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet for direct talks aimed at ending the war between their countries, saying Ukraine remains ready for peace but will continue fighting if no agreement can be reached.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 5 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
More than 6,000 people gathered outside a vote-counting centre in Seoul on Friday night, demanding this week’s local elections be repeated after ballot shortages left some voters unable to cast their ballots.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The U.S. said it struck Iranian radar sites on Qeshm Island and in Goruk after intercepting four drones, while Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they launches retaliatory strikes on four tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. bases in the Gulf.
The Iranian national football team is set to arrive in North America for the World Cup after finally securing travel documents, but a dispute over U.S. visa approvals continues to cast a shadow over the country's tournament preparations.
At least a dozen people were wounded, two critically, on Saturday (6 June) in Toledo, Ohio, as two shooters traded gunfire, police said.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 7 June, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al‑Zaidi will pay an official visit to the United States, bringing with him a delegation of business leaders, private‑sector representatives and banking officials, in an effort to boost investment and deepen economic ties with Washington.
People across Gaza are facing a worsening humanitarian crisis, with millions struggling to access food, clean water, shelter and medical care as the conflict continues.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment