The Rewriting of the EU’s Military Strategy

EU countries are bundling their defence forces in a new strategy. Negotiations for these plans began as early as 2020, and they have been tightened up considerably in recent months. This is mainly due to the war in Ukraine. The Strategic Compass now contains ‘tougher language’ against Russia (Barigazzi, Gijs & Lau, 2022). The 47-page final result is inevitably heavily influenced by the recent Russian military invasion of Ukraine and its profound impact on the European security architecture.

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The NATO Practice of Exercises: Cold Response 2022

On 14 March 2022 Cold Response 2022 (CR 22) began, one of the largest North Atlantic Organization Treaty (NATO) exercises in the Arctic since the 1980s. The exercise, led by Norway, involved 30.000 troops, 220 aircrafts and 50 ships from 27 countries and ended on 1 of April. The 2022 edition was held after two years of suspension (2020-2021) because of the pandemic.

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Belgium to Acquire Nexter’s Caesar 6×6 NG

On May 13, Belgium’s and France’s Defence ministers, Ludivine Dedonder and Florence Parly signed contracts for the delivery of Nexter’s Caesar 6×6 NG (CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie de Nouvelle Génération) to the Belgian army.

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New and Old Issues in Space Security: from Space Debris Removal to Italy’s Call for Satellite Protection

Following the recognition by Italy of space as a domain for military operations, the country must increase the robustness and the protection of its satellites. This decision aligns with international and transnational organisations of which Italy is a member, such as the European Space Agency (ESA) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). The problem to be tackled is active attacks in space and the always present issue of space and orbital debris.

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German and Dutch Patriot Systems to be Deployed in Slovakia

The Associated Press (AP) reports that Germany and the Netherlands will deploy their armed forces’ Patriot Air Defence Systems in Slovakia. Notably, the deployment comes after an official request made by NATO to the two-member states; it is unclear whether Slovakia previously made a request to NATO. The deployment must be understood twofold: First, as conventional deterrence and second, as an exercise in signalling NATO’s commitment to its eastern member states.

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