NATO chief urges 400 percent increase in alliance鈥檚 air defense

National flags of alliance's members flutter at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. (REUTERS/File Photo)
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  • 鈥淲hat the Ukrainians did in Russia was a Trojan horse,鈥� says NATO streategic commander for transformation
  • NATO has adopted new objectives for its defense capabilities to ensure it will be able to repel Russian aggression

BRUSSELS, Belgium: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday was due to urge a 鈥�400-percent increase鈥� in the transatlantic alliance鈥檚 air and missile defense capacities in response to the threat from Russia.
鈥淲e see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies. Our militaries also need thousands more armored vehicles and tanks, millions more artillery shells,鈥� Rutte was due to say in a speech to the Chatham House think-tank in London, according to comments quoted in a statement.

NATO learns as Ukraine鈥檚 鈥榗reativity鈥� changes battlefield

Ukraine鈥檚 鈥渃reativity,鈥� including its massive 鈥淪pider鈥檚 web鈥� drone attack deep inside Russia, holds profound lessons for Western militaries, the top NATO commander overseeing battlefield innovation told AFP.
鈥淲hat the Ukrainians did in Russia was a Trojan horse 鈥� and the trojan horse was thousands of years ago,鈥� French Admiral Pierre Vandier, NATO鈥檚 Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, said in an interview.
鈥淭oday, we see this kind of tactic being reinvented by technical and industrial creativity.鈥�
Vandier said the operation showed how crucial innovation and adaptation were for victory, as modern warfare changes at lightning speed.
鈥淚t was a real coup.鈥�
鈥淲e are entering a dynamic era where armies must rely on both major planning but also adaptive planning,鈥� the navy commander said.
鈥淲e will witness continuous innovation where, week by week, month by month or year by year, we will be able to invent things we hadn鈥檛 anticipated.鈥�

Faced with the Russian threat, NATO this week adopted new objectives for its defense capabilities to ensure it will be able to repel Moscow.
But Western intelligence agencies have warned that the Kremlin is reconstituting its forces at a pace far outstripping NATO and could be ready to attack the alliance in as little as four years.
鈥淭ime is truly a crucial parameter. We must act quickly,鈥� Vandier said.
The admiral, who previously commanded France鈥檚 flagship Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier, said NATO needed to amass the forces to dissuade any adversary from trying an attack.
鈥淲hen you say 鈥業鈥檓 defending myself鈥�, you have the weapons to defend. When you say you deter, you have the weapons to deter,鈥� he said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what should prevent war 鈥� making the adversary think: 鈥淭omorrow morning, I won鈥檛 win.鈥�
NATO countries under pressure from US President Donald Trump are expected to agree a major increase in their defense spending target at a summit in The Hague this month.
That should see a dramatic surge in spending on military hardware.
But if cheap Ukrainian drones can inflict billions of dollars in damage on Russian bombers, is it still worth investing in vastly expensive systems?
鈥淣o-one in the military sphere will tell you that we can do without what we鈥檒l call traditional equipment,鈥� Vandier said.
鈥淗owever, we are certain we need new equipment to complement it.鈥�
Officials say that over 70 percent of battlefield casualties in Ukraine are caused by drones.
But while drones are indispensable in modern warfare, they are not omnipotent.
鈥淭oday, you won鈥檛 cross the Atlantic with a 10-meter-long (33-foot-long) drone. You won鈥檛 easily locate submarines with such tools,鈥� Vandier said.
鈥淚f they accompany your large platforms, you鈥檒l be able to achieve much better results at much lower costs.鈥�

The admiral, who works out of NATO鈥檚 US base in Norfolk, Virginia, said the major challenge was 鈥渋ntegrating new technologies and new combat methods, based on what we鈥檝e witnessed in Ukraine.鈥�
NATO and Ukraine have established a center in Poland designed to help the alliance learn lessons from Russia鈥檚 invasion of its neighbor.
Artificial Intelligence and robotics are also increasingly having an impact and are set to help reshape the battlefield.
鈥淎ll modern armies will have piloted and non-piloted capabilities,鈥� Vandier said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 much more efficient to deliver ammunition with a ground robot than with a squad of soldiers who could face a 155-millimeter (six-inch) shell.鈥�
This transformation of military capabilities within the alliance, which NATO aims to expand by at least 30 percent over coming years, will come at a significant cost, estimated in hundreds of billions of euros (dollars).
Vandier insisted that while the financial effort was 鈥渟ubstantial鈥� it was 鈥渇ully realistic.鈥�
鈥淭oday, we have all the tools. We have the engineering. We have the expertise. We have the technology. So, we need to get started,鈥� he said.