Ukraine shifts strategy to coordinate air defense and advanced weapon priorities with NATO.
01/02/2026
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov held talks in Kyiv with NATO Senior Representative Patrick Turner and Lieutenant General Curtis Buzzard, Commander of the NATO Security Assistance and Training Mission in Ukraine. Both sides confirmed the core directions of future military cooperation: strengthening Ukraine's air defense system, developing the operational capabilities of Patriot systems, F-16 fighter jets, and HIMARS rocket artillery, and jointly committing to establishing technological superiority. This coordination took place ahead of the new round of the Ramstein-format Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on February 12, marking a shift in Western military aid from emergency supplies to systematic, long-term capability building.
Air Defense Priority: From Passive Interception to the Construction of an Active Defense System
In the statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, protecting the skies from Russian attacks is listed as a current critical priority. This is not a general statement but a direct response based on the harsh realities of the past several months. Since last autumn, Russia has systematically used Shahed-136 drones, Kh-101 cruise missiles, and Kinzhal hypersonic missiles to conduct high-intensity airstrikes against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, military-industrial complex, and frontline command nodes. Ukraine's existing Soviet-era air defense legacy, such as the S-300 and Buk systems, has shown signs of fatigue under continuous depletion and in the face of new threats.
The deeper reason is that Ukraine is advancing the transformation of its small-scale air defense systems. This refers to building a multi-layered network consisting of medium- and short-range, mobile air defense systems, such as Germany's Iris-T SLM, France's Crotale, and the United States' National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System. These systems are paired with long-range Patriot PAC-3 systems. Fedorov specifically mentioned that Ukraine will share unique combat experience, real-time data from the front lines, and technical solutions already in use with its partners. This means that NATO countries can not only provide equipment but also directly benefit from Ukraine's practical combat data to improve their own air defense tactics and equipment performance. Such two-way exchange was not common in the previous one-way assistance model.
Key Weapon Platform Development Path: - Coordination between HIMARS and Patriot Systems
The specific equipment models on the cooperation list reveal a clear logical chain of NATO assistance. The introduction of the F-16 fighter jet holds significance far beyond merely supplementing Ukraine's depleted MiG-29 fleet. The F-16 is a multi-role combat aircraft capable of performing air defense interception, precision ground strikes, and even anti-radiation missions. It will provide the Ukrainian Air Force, for the first time, with the capability to employ AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles, challenging the advantage of Russian fighter jets in aerial combat. However, the deployment of the F-16 is a systematic project involving pilot training, ground crew maintenance, ammunition supply chains, and base air defense protection, which explains why it is listed as a long-term project requiring development.
The HIMARS high-mobility rocket artillery system and the Army Tactical Missile System it employs have proven to be critical force multipliers for the Ukrainian military, enabling deep strikes and weakening Russian logistics and command centers. Future developments may focus on increasing the supply of longer-range munitions and enhancing survivability and operational capabilities in electronic warfare environments. As for the Patriot system, its development priorities likely include expanding deployment units, ensuring a sustained supply of interceptor missiles, and exploring deeper integration with Ukraine's existing radar networks to counter large-scale missile salvos. Together, these three elements form a firepower system spanning tactical to operational levels: the F-16 secures local air superiority and strikes high-value targets, HIMARS hits assembly areas and depots tens to hundreds of kilometers behind the front lines, and Patriot provides the essential regional air defense umbrella for all these operations.
The evolution of the Ramstein format and the deepening of NATO's coordinating role.
A separate track of this meeting is to coordinate the Ramstein format, co-chaired by Germany and the United Kingdom. Since its establishment in April 2022, this format has become a core platform for over 50 countries to coordinate military aid to Ukraine. However, as the war prolongs, the demand for assistance has evolved from initial individual anti-tank weapons and artillery shells to today's complex air defense systems, main battle tanks, and fighter jets, with the complexity and urgency of coordination growing exponentially. As a collective security organization, NATO's framework includes the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine Group and the NATO Support and Supply for Ukraine Group, which are playing an increasingly central role in coordination.
As the NATO senior representative in Ukraine, Patrick Turner, along with the NATO mission led by Lieutenant General Curtis Buzzard, their involvement signifies that NATO institutions are becoming more directly involved in the planning and implementation processes of assistance. The objective is clear: to accelerate decision-making and the delivery of necessary aid. The upcoming meeting in Brussels on February 12, led by the United Kingdom and Germany, is expected to finalize specific national contribution shares and timelines based on the priorities identified in this Ukraine-NATO meeting. This reflects a trend where assistance is shifting from voluntary, fragmented donations by individual countries toward more unified needs assessment, prioritization, and supply chain management under the NATO framework.
Technology Superiority Competition: Ukraine Becomes NATO's "Live Combat Laboratory"
Fedorov's statement on jointly striving for technological superiority highlights another increasingly prominent dimension of this conflict—the race for high-tech weapons and tactics. The Ukrainian battlefield has become a testing ground for new weapons and combat methods from both the West and Russia. From drone swarm tactics and electronic countermeasures to cyber warfare and the utilization of space capabilities, both sides are undergoing rapid iteration.
Ukraine has indicated that it will share its technical solutions, which may include its domestically developed drone systems, software-defined radio communication equipment, or improvised methods for maintaining command and control in harsh electronic warfare environments. For NATO's military-industrial complex, this represents invaluable real battlefield feedback. In return, NATO may accelerate the provision of technical equipment that is still in the testing phase or of higher sensitivity, such as more advanced reconnaissance drones, anti-drone systems, or cyber warfare capabilities, to verify their effectiveness and gather data. This cooperation has elevated the ties between Ukraine and NATO to a new depth, moving beyond mere arms transactions and entering a phase of joint development and adaptation.
The war has entered its third year, with the stalemate on the front lines and the characteristics of a war of attrition on the home front becoming increasingly evident. The core message of this coordination between Ukraine and NATO is that the focus of Western support is shifting: from helping Ukraine survive to assisting Ukraine in building a modern defense system capable of long-term combat and gradually gaining technological superiority. Air defense, air power, long-range precision strikes, and technological cooperation—these four pillars collectively point toward one goal: altering the balance of power on the battlefield and securing a more favorable position for Ukraine in potential future negotiations. However, whether this blueprint can become reality depends on the political will, military-industrial capacity, and consistent commitment of Western nations. The Brussels meeting on February 12 will serve as the first litmus test for this new strategic shift.
Reference materials
https://ua.korrespondent.net/ukraine/4851770-ukraina-y-nato-uzghodyly-priorytety-spivpratsi