Emerging Investments in Air Defence and Electronic Warfare

The war in Ukraine has redefined the hierarchy of military priorities across Europe, and none more decisively than the need for integrated air defence and robust electronic warfare capabilities. For decades, European defence planning assumed that air superiority was guaranteed under the NATO umbrella and that high-intensity conflict on the continent was unlikely. The systematic use of missiles, drones, and electronic interference by Russia has invalidated those assumptions. European skies, once considered safe, have become potential battlefields vulnerable to saturation attacks and hybrid intrusions. The challenge is not limited to protecting front-line troops; it encompasses cities, infrastructure, and logistics networks that form the backbone of collective resilience. As a result, Europe must reorient its defence investments toward systems capable of detecting, intercepting, and neutralizing a spectrum of aerial threats while simultaneously resisting electromagnetic and cyber disruption. Air defence and electronic warfare are no longer specialized niches but the core enablers of deterrence.