The Battle of the “Domes”

(full document here) The next European Defence summit in Brussels will be the real test: will a fratricidal competition be chosen, or the creation of a single “Michelangelo-SkyDefender” protocol to secure the Union’s borders? (more)

The invasion of Ukraine acted as a powerful catalyst, but it is the technological revolution of unmanned systems and hypersonic threats that has triggered a true “gold rush” for the defence of European skies.

Today, the Old Continent faces a strategic paradox: the collective search for a common shield is fueling an unprecedented industrial competition between two national champions, Leonardo and Thales, while the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) threatens to become the ultimate flashpoint between European strategic autonomy and dependence on extra-UE systems.