E5 Countries Join Forces: European Low-Cost Air Defense Program Launched

During a defense ministers' summit in Krakow, representatives of Europe's major military powers – the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Poland – signed an agreement to establish the LEAP (Low-Cost Effectors and Autonomous Platforms) initiative. This program focuses on developing a new generation of defense systems designed to be effective yet significantly cheaper to produce than current solutions. The main premise is based on experiences from Ukraine, where drones and simple missile systems played a crucial role in repelling aggression. The concept of "low-cost defense" gained prominence after 2022, when it became evident that expensive surface-to-air missiles, worth millions of dollars, were being extensively used to destroy cheap kamikaze drones produced at a fraction of the cost. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized that Europe must seek unconventional solutions, including the possibility of creating a European equivalent to the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. This initiative aims not only to support Kyiv but primarily to strengthen the European Union's own production and industrial capabilities. Also attending the meeting was Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, who noted that a stronger Europe means a stronger NATO. The LEAP project is to be open to collaboration with domestic arms manufacturers from all five signatory countries. „In the E5 format, we are considering an unconventional approach. We want to leverage economies of scale to produce autonomous systems faster and at lower cost.” — Boris Pistorius Simultaneously, the future of combat aviation was discussed behind the scenes. Despite media speculation, Berlin officially denied plans to purchase another batch of American F-35 fighter jets, suggesting a desire to continue European design projects. Meanwhile, in the Far East, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned of increasing pressure from China, coinciding with an incident over the Yellow Sea involving a rare encounter between U.S. and Chinese aircraft. These global events further motivate the E5 countries to rapidly build an independent defense shield.