In Brussels, Belgium, the European Union is considering closer cooperation with Israel in high-tech air defense and space capabilities. The head of the Israel Space Agency, Shimrit Maman, met with European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva to discuss artificial intelligence and robotics, Politico Europe reports.
Early warning systems
Maman said that allies are showing growing interest in dual-use technologies suitable for civilian and defense needs. According to her, the militarization of space is already taking place, although its scale is not always recognized.
The agency head also said that Israel is working on early warning systems. She cited the recent exchange of missile strikes with Iran as an example, during which such systems, according to her, helped warn civilians in advance. Among the areas of possible joint work, Maman named satellite imaging and artificial intelligence-based modeling. She noted that these technologies could be useful not only for countering ballistic missiles, but also for responding to fires, flash floods and prolonged droughts.
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Defense projects in Europe
In 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen supported calls by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to create an EU-funded air defense shield. Three officials involved in the discussions told Politico that the project did not move forward at the time because the European Commission and several capitals concluded that Israeli air defense technologies would need to be used. Against the backdrop of the war in Gaza, this was considered too sensitive an issue.
Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems confirmed on Monday that it will open a plant in Germany to manufacture the Iron Dome air defense system at the site of a former Volkswagen factory. A week earlier, Greece signed a €3 billion agreement with Israel’s Ministry of Defense to create a multi-layered air defense system to counter drones, hostile aircraft and missiles.
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