NATO once again underscores how vital it is to study and apply lessons from the russia–Ukraine war to strengthen its forces and defense industry otherwise, as one Swedish Air Force leader warns, the Alliance risks losing a potential decisive conflict in Europe.
Speaking at the Defence IQ conference held from November 4–7, Swedish Air Force Commander Jonas Wikman stressed the need for rapid development, innovation, and learning under pressure along with dramatically accelerating the pace of weapons development, Breaking Defense reports.
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According to Wikman, the winner in modern warfare will be the one who learns fastest, and Ukraine, he said, is providing a real masterclass in swift adaptation.
He also highlighted that battlefield tactics evolve almost weekly, emphasizing: Virtually no weapon system we have provided to Ukraine is being used as originally intended.
While this assessment may sound somewhat overstated, the underlying message is accurate NATO is increasingly recognizing such crucial conceptual issues and seeking to identify and improve its own weaknesses.
A vivid example of those weaknesses is the recurring issue of unknown drones entering NATO airspace. In some cases, political hesitation prevents decisive action; in others, countries simply lack the technical capability or the legal framework to respond swiftly areas where rapid adaptation is urgently needed.
In terms of weapons procurement, several nations have already adopted or announced a policy to buy only systems proven effective in combat as Denmark recently did, openly stating it will only acquire equipment tested on the Ukrainian battlefield.
Earlier, Defense Expressreported that Germany seeks to reduce its reliance on the U.S. for detecting russian air threats and plans to purchase up to six additional Pegasus SIGINT reconnaissance aircraft.
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