Overview
Air defence is rapidly rising to the top of the priority list. From Ukraine to the Middle East and South Asia, fast-changing threats are challenging Europe’s capacity to identify, intercept, and protect against inexpensive drones and quickly advancing UAV technologies.
European airspace is already under pressure—through frequent drone intrusions, surveillance operations, and hybrid attacks targeting critical infrastructure. These events are broadly interpreted as intentional efforts to probe NATO reactions. Meanwhile, initiatives such as the European Sky Shield are becoming more pressing. For the UK, as a participant, this brings up practical concerns about interoperability, capability shortfalls, and the future direction of European defence collaboration.
This prompts very tangible concerns about whether Europe can ensure their safety, how secure daily life will feel moving forward, and what role the UK has in shaping that security environment.
This discussion will examine whether Europe, including the UK, is progressing quickly enough to establish a credible and unified air defence system, and what the implications are for deterrence, resilience, and future security.
Speakers
Alex Scheers, Defence Analyst and Journalist
Arun Dawson, PhD candidate and Researcher, Freeman Air and Space Institute, King’s College London
Joining Instructions
This is an in-person only event open exclusively for RUSI NextGen Community Members, taking place at RUSI, 61 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ET.
Interested in joining the NextGen Community? Join here.
The RUSI NextGen community is aimed at early career and young professionals aged between 20 and 30.
