European countries are banding together on missile defence

Germany, usually a defence laggard, is leading efforts to rearm. In August 2022 Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), a plan to jointly procure air-defence systems. Fully 21 countries have joined, enticed by the potential economies of scale. The hope is that co-operation will eventually stretch to logistics, maintenance and training. “It’s about cutting costs and quickly acquiring capabilities,” says Fabian Hoffmann of the University of Oslo.