03/07/2023 19:18 (act. 03/07/2023 19:18)
Constitutional Minister Edtstadler accuses FPÖ leader Kickl of “ignorance”. ©AP, APA
The debate over Austria’s planned participation in the European “Sky Shield” air defense initiative continues. According to the Ministry of Defense, however, much is still unclear.
Firstly, Austria wants to sign the participation, only then will there be talks about what Austria can specifically contribute to this “takeover initiative”, a spokeswoman told the APA on Monday.
Medium-range anti-aircraft systems mentioned by military expert Franz-Stefan Gady in Ö1 “Morgenjournal”, i.e. a range between 15 and 50 kilometers or even 25 kilometers, are “a possibility”, he said. Another option is a radar data exchange. The spokeswoman “could not confirm” rumors of two billion euros in costs for Austria. In any case, “everything must be compatible with neutrality”.
It is also not yet clear what other countries are contributing. The media talked about the purchase of US Patriot systems and the Israeli Arrow 3 missile defense system.
Brigadier Eder in “Sky Shield”
Brigadier Philipp Eder speaks at ORF about the Sky Shield Initiative, which Austria also wants to participate in.
FPÖ’s criticism of joining the “Sky Shield”
The FPÖ reiterated its criticism of the project on Monday. FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl spoke on Sunday of a “devastating political decision of neutrality”.
Edtstadler attacks Kickl
Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP), on the other hand, emphasized that Austria’s main task as a neutral state is to ensure a comprehensive national defense. “Neutrality means being defensive. With the European ‘Sky Shield’ initiative, we can, of course, respond effectively to new threats and technologies, in particular drones and ballistic missiles, in accordance with the Federal Constitutional Law on neutrality. Other neutral states are also considering participating,” Edtstadler said in a statement.
“Typical Ignorance”
Edtstadler also sharply attacked the former interior minister regarding heute.at: “With his typical mixture of ignorance and populism, he obviously wants to refuse this protection to Austrians and instead bets on scaremongering by saying that it would lead to a war with Russia. This is highly irresponsible.”
17 countries in the “Sky Shield Initiative”
The “European Sky Shield Initiative” (ESSI) came from the EU and NATO, Germany, and currently includes 17 countries. Since last October, NATO members Great Britain, Slovakia, Latvia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Estonia and Norway have also been involved. Denmark and NATO candidate Sweden also joined the project in February. Set against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, “Sky Shield” aims to help close gaps in the current protective shield for Europe.
The southern NATO countries of Italy, Spain and France, as well as Poland, are not part of the German initiative. Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said at the time, according to Spanish media, that Spain had not been formally invited to participate in the project. Paris doesn’t like the fact that non-European technology must be bought.
With “Sky Shield”, a satellite-backed protective screen will be placed over participating countries that can detect and ward off drones and missiles at an early stage, the federal government announced on Saturday. The increased threat situation is reflected in three factors against which the “Sky Shield” intends to provide the necessary protection: drone attacks or threats from misguided drones, threats from military aircraft in European airspace and threats from ballistic or nuclear missiles in European airspace.