Sky Defenders documentary explore modern air defence of NASAMS

Filmed across Norway, Poland, Spain, Australia and Ukraine, Sky Defenders follows the NASAMS air defence system from military exercises and training on NATO’s eastern borders to the frontline realities of the war in Ukraine.

The documentary features rare access to military personnel, defence specialists, engineers and international experts, alongside footage of military exercises, missile testing and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

In Ukraine, the film captures the reality of a country facing constant attacks from missiles and drones, and the vital role air defence plays in protecting cities, infrastructure and soldiers.

The documentary also looks at the changing security environment across Europe, where NATO forces are preparing for a new era of warfare and air defence has become one of the most important capabilities on the battlefield.

Executive Producer Michael Fardell said the documentary was about understanding what happens when the warning comes that an incoming weapon is heading towards a target.

“There can be only minutes, sometimes seconds, to detect, identify and respond. We wanted audiences to understand what happens inside that extraordinary race against time.”

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Sky Defenders provides a rare look at a world of radar operators, missile crews, engineers and soldiers whose job is to protect the skies — and the people beneath them.

The documentary’s release comes at a particularly poignant time in the Russian– Ukraine War according to documentary producer, Gerry Wheeler, who has spent close to 30 years working in Australian defence industry and for Federal political leaders. “The devastating human toll we now see on the nightly news is because the West either will not or cannot supply the missile stocks for use in NASAMS and other ground based air defence systems. The result is terrifying for Ukrainians who live in fear on a daily basis. Russian (or Iranian made) drones and ballistic missiles launched against Ukraine now inevitably reach their targets and Ukrainians are losing their lives in numbers not seen before.

“But it need not be this way. The Ukrainian Government has made an official request of the Australian Government for the donation of missiles for its NASAMS systems and it is incumbent upon them to respond. That Australia was willing to provide stocks of the very same missile (known as the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile, AMRAAM) to the UAE to defend against Iran shows it is possible for Australia to play a role. But Australia can do even more. And it can do well by doing good. The vision of a domestic guided weapons enterprise announced at the beginning of this decade that could build this very missile would be an industrial and military triumph for Australia that could support our own defence needs, those of countries such as Ukraine and contribute to America’s so called “Arsenal of Freedom”.

“Such an outcome could generate a level of military exports the likes of which Australia has never seen before, create thousands of jobs directly, in the supply chain and beyond; and add substantial heft to our strategic influence amongst our allies,” Wheeler said.