EU countries commit to the joint development of drones, missiles and warships!
Member states on Tuesday will pledge to develop joint military projects on integrated air and missile defense, electronic warfare, cluster munitions and a next-generation warship.
Defense ministers from up to 17 member states are expected to sign later this afternoon at least one of four political letters of intent [one letter per project] to develop joint military capabilities, ranging from short-term joint procurement to the creation of long-term skills. initiatives. "To become a reliable security provider, the EU needs to develop strategic capabilities, including high-intensity war scenarios," said EDA chief executive Jiří Šedivý.
The letters of intent do not yet contain any financial commitment and are more of a "political sign" of member countries' persuasion to pursue joint defense projects in the future. According to a new report from the European Defense Agency (EDA), member states are closer to meeting NATO's defense spending target of 2%, with total military spending set to reach €326 billion (1.9% of EU GDP) in 2024.
But despite increased defense spending, national efforts alone are not enough for the EU to be ready for high-intensity war, said outgoing top diplomat and EDA chief Josep Borrell. "Additional defense funding should be spent as efficiently as possible and using some of it through European co-operative investment for skills needs would help," Borrell argued.
Last week, the European Commission approved €300 million in funding for five joint defense projects under the so-called EDIRPA instrument, and the EU executive also launched a proposal to allocate €1.5 billion to the European Defense Industry Program (EDIP). However, these figures are far from what is needed to meet the challenges of the European defense sector, which is still highly fragmented and dependent on external suppliers.
The EU's new defense commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, told MEPs during his confirmation hearing last week that around 200 billion euros will be needed over the next decade to upgrade infrastructure so that military equipment and troops can be easily mobilized across the EU and another 500 billion euros. to build an EU air defense shield.
What are these projects for?
EDA has identified a total of 18 defense and security cooperation opportunities, but so far only the four mentioned above have received commitments from member states for deeper cooperation to make them full-fledged projects. At least seven member states, including Belgium and the Netherlands, are interested in developing the European Warship to protect their waters and respond to conflicts abroad.
These member states will now plan to harmonize requirements, develop a business case and prepare for joint procurement by 2040, with the aim of making it a major European maritime cooperation. However, the projects that have gained the most traction among member states are those related to integrated air and missile defense, through the procurement of anti-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), ground-based air defense (GBAD) and munitions.
Thirteen member states have also expressed interest in collaborating on electronic well-being capabilities, which enable the disruption of enemy communications and sensors while protecting friendly forces from detection and intrusion, the EDA said in its report. "Cooperation opportunities will bring together national policymakers, planners and armaments experts to develop relevant military assets. These are in line with NATO's priorities," Šedivý said.
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