European countries and defense companies are running into issues as they look to bolster their militaries following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. European defense firms have committed to increasing production, including BAE Systems which “tripled its production of 155mm artillery shells after Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
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- 04/03/2025
- 0
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced an €800 billion ($841 billion) “REARM Europe” initiative to bolster EU defense capabilities amid concerns over potential U.S. disengagement. The proposal will be presented to 27 EU leaders during an emergency meeting in Brussels on Thursday, following President Donald Trump’s remarks on U.S. support for Europe and Ukraine. Von der Leyen stressed the need to ease fiscal constraints so member states can increase defense spending, with an average 1.5% of GDP increase expected to generate €650 billion ($683 billion) over four years. The initiative underscores Europe’s push for greater military self-reliance […]
The EU buys too much defense equipment abroad, especially from the US, a major report says
- Veiko Lukmann
- 09/09/2024
- 0
A new report on EU competitiveness highlights that European Union countries are relying too heavily on foreign defense equipment, particularly from the United States, with nearly two-thirds of purchases coming from abroad. The report, authored by former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, also notes that EU member states are not sufficiently leveraging Europe’s research and development capacities for military modernization. European defense spending is far behind that of the U.S., hindering the development of stronger domestic defense firms. This issue has become more urgent as the EU struggles to provide sufficient arms and ammunition to support Ukraine in its ongoing […]
EU approves first-ever funding for joint weapons, ammo procurement
- Veiko Lukmann
- 15/11/2024
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Margrethe Vestager, the Executive Vice-President of the Commission, announced a new initiative where EU budget funds will be used for the first time to support member states in jointly procuring defense products. She highlighted that this approach will enhance the value for money of national defense budgets and improve the interoperability of European armed forces. Additionally, this initiative aims to strengthen the European defense industry and enhance Europe’s preparedness against defense threats. The Commission has approved funding for nine countries, including France, Spain, Hungary, and Romania, for the joint procurement of MBDA’s Mistral very short-range air defense systems. Additionally, six […]