Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Ukraine Is Building the Missile Shield Russia Fears - Professor Gerdes Explains 🇺🇦
Ukraine has spent years asking for more missile defense, especially against ballistic threats. But this story is no longer just about what the West might send. It is about what Ukraine is starting to build for itself.
In this video, I walk through the emerging missile-defense and strike ecosystem Ukraine is putting together: G7 backing, expanded defense manufacturing, Czech cooperation on engines, the DRAGON air defense system, the ST-100 missile, the balloon-launched DART concept, and the Fire Point / Freya system being developed with German radar integration. This is not just a collection of new weapons. It is the outline of a much larger strategic shift.
I also explain why this matters in a bigger sense. Ukraine is moving from aid recipient to security partner. Its wartime innovation is producing systems that may not only help defend Ukraine now, but could shape European security and defense markets after the war.
And finally, I contrast all of that with Russia’s Oreshnik problems. While Ukraine is iterating and integrating, Russia may be pushing forward a missile system with significant guidance and quality-control weaknesses. That contrast tells you a great deal about where both countries are headed.
Chapters
00:00 Ukraine’s missile defense weakness may not last
01:00 G7 support, Patriot questions, and Ukraine’s own plan
01:41 Europe partnerships and the Czech engine deal
02:27 DRAGON, ST-100, and Ukraine’s new air defense layer
03:20 DART and the stratospheric balloon missile concept
05:06 Fire Point, Freya, and the future ballistic missile shield
08:32 The drone war numbers changing the battlefield
09:43 Why Russia’s Oreshnik may be far weaker than advertised
11:28 Ukraine becomes a security partner, not just a recipient
In this video, I walk through the emerging missile-defense and strike ecosystem Ukraine is putting together: G7 backing, expanded defense manufacturing, Czech cooperation on engines, the DRAGON air defense system, the ST-100 missile, the balloon-launched DART concept, and the Fire Point / Freya system being developed with German radar integration. This is not just a collection of new weapons. It is the outline of a much larger strategic shift.
I also explain why this matters in a bigger sense. Ukraine is moving from aid recipient to security partner. Its wartime innovation is producing systems that may not only help defend Ukraine now, but could shape European security and defense markets after the war.
And finally, I contrast all of that with Russia’s Oreshnik problems. While Ukraine is iterating and integrating, Russia may be pushing forward a missile system with significant guidance and quality-control weaknesses. That contrast tells you a great deal about where both countries are headed.
Chapters
00:00 Ukraine’s missile defense weakness may not last
01:00 G7 support, Patriot questions, and Ukraine’s own plan
01:41 Europe partnerships and the Czech engine deal
02:27 DRAGON, ST-100, and Ukraine’s new air defense layer
03:20 DART and the stratospheric balloon missile concept
05:06 Fire Point, Freya, and the future ballistic missile shield
08:32 The drone war numbers changing the battlefield
09:43 Why Russia’s Oreshnik may be far weaker than advertised
11:28 Ukraine becomes a security partner, not just a recipient
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
