Exclusive - Germany nears decision to beef up short-range air defences: sources

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany is nearing a decision to replace its ageing short-range air defence systems and help fill a gap that has caused concern among NATO members after Russia's annexation of Crimea, two sources familiar with the issue said.

A decision to move ahead would pave the way for a procurement programme valued at 460 million euros through the middle of the next decade, with 2 billion euros in further spending likely in a later phase, said one of the sources. New lasers and radars could be added later at additional cost.