NATO Increases Alliance-Wide Ballistic Missile Defence Posture

NATO has increased its Alliance-wide ballistic missile defence posture – this immediate action was taken by the commander of NATO’s Air Command.

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SHAPE Press Release, Mons, 05 March 2026: “I can confirm that yesterday, in addition to NATO’s successful intercept of a ballistic missile from Iran that targeted Türkiye, which that nation was the first to announce, NATO increased its Alliance-wide ballistic missile defence posture.

This immediate action was taken by the commander of NATO’s Air Command, who further recommended NATO’s ballistic missile defence posture remain at this heightened level until the threat from Iran’s continued indiscriminate attacks across the region subsides. The Supreme Allied Commander Europe concurred with this recommendation, and the matter was discussed today during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, where Allies expressed their strong and unanimous support for this sensible measure. In addition, Allies expressed their thanks for the immediate and potentially life-saving response from the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, and again condemned Iran’s targeting of Türkiye.

While I cannot go into details about this posture change for operational security reasons, the adjustment gives the Supreme Allied Commander Europe exactly what he needs to defend the Alliance based upon the current threat and defend it he will! As the world witnessed yesterday, NATO perfectly executed its ballistic missile defence procedures. In less than 10 minutes, NATO service members identified a threat to Allies, a ballistic missile, confirmed its trajectory, alerted land- and sea-based missile defence systems, and launched an interceptor to defeat the threat and protect our territory and its people. That is real strength!” Colonel Martin L O’Donnell, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Spokesperson

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