Flexible response
Still, strengthening allied air defenses may also require giving a broader mandate to Grynkewich.
Historically, national caveats have restricted NATO from deploying troops to certain locations and have limited the use of assets for specific purposes, said Oana Lungescu, a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute think tank and former NATO spokesperson, which “made things much harder to coordinate.”
For air defense, it’s about “having greater clarity” on what these limits are for “SACEUR to deploy forces and capabilities,” she said.
Grynkewich is examining the rules on flexibility in missions and national caveats under Eastern Sentry that would incrementally enhance NATO’s response, according to two NATO diplomats and one NATO official. He is expected to present his proposals to allies next year, one of the diplomats and the official added.
Beefing up air defenses along the alliance’s eastern flank and in the Baltic arena will also require new investments and “includes building a layered network of sensors integrated with a common AI-enabled control system,” said a second NATO official, adding that the alliance is using Central Europe “as a test case” for such technologies.
Defense ministers are also expected to discuss joint initiatives between the EU and NATO. The bloc is spearheading several defense initiatives, including its €150 billion SAFE loans-for-weapons program, and is expected to unveil a sweeping defense strategy for 2030 on Thursday.
Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged to build a “drone wall” to protect frontline states from Russia.
Although the plan has received a mixed reception in the EU, NATO allies broadly back the idea of Brussels helping finance drone-related defenses, two NATO diplomats said. But that can only work if allies and Grynkewich retain full control over the equipment and how it is used, they added.