European Sky Shield Initiative

European Sky Shield Initiative
TypeRegional Military Initiative
Established on13 October 2022 (2022-10-13)
Members
Area3,697,779.6 km2 (1,427,720.7 sq mi)
Population382,234,470

The European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) is a project to build a ground-based integrated European air defence system which includes anti-ballistic missile capability. As of 2025, 24 European states participate in the initiative.

A related but separate proposal is European Sky Shield for Ukraine, which would deploy a European-led Integrated Air Protection Zone covering western Ukraine using NATO member combat air patrols.