EU defense spending in 2024 will amount to €326 billion (1.9% of EU GDP), according to a report by the European Defense Agency (EDA). However, despite the increase in military spending, national efforts alone are not enough for the EU to be ready for high-intensity combat operations, said outgoing chief diplomat and EDA head Josep Borrell, UNN reports citing Euronews.
Details
On Tuesday, EU member states are expected to commit to develop joint military projects on integrated air and missile defense, electronic warfare, barrage munitions and a new generation warship.
Defense ministers from 17 member states are expected to sign 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 long-term capacity building initiatives.
"To become a reliable security provider, the EU needs to develop strategic capabilities, including for high-intensity warfare scenarios," said Jiri Shedivy, EDA Director General.
The letters of intent do not yet contain any financial commitments and are rather a "political sign" of the member states' conviction that joint defense projects should be implemented in the future, two EU diplomats told Euronews.
According to a new report by the European Defense Agency (EDA), member states are on track to meet NATO's 2% of GDP defense spending target, with total military spending set to reach €326 billion (1.9% of EU GDP) in 2024.
But despite the increase in defense spending, national efforts alone are not enough to make the EU ready for high-intensity combat operations, said Josep Borrell, chief diplomat and head of the EDA.
"Additional defense funding should be spent as efficiently as possible, and using some of it through joint European investments for capacity building would help," Borrell said.
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 put forward a proposal to allocate €1.5 billion for the European Defense Industry Program (EDIP).
However, these figures are far from what is needed to solve the problems of the European defense sector, which is still highly fragmented and dependent on external suppliers, the publication writes.
The new EU defense commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, told MEPs during his confirmation hearing last week that about €200 billion will be needed over the next decade to modernize infrastructure so that military equipment and troops can be easily mobilized across the EU, and another €500 billion to build up the EU's air defense.
What are these projects?
The EDA has identified a total of 18 opportunities for defense and security cooperation, but so far only four of the above have received commitments from member states for deeper cooperation to make them full-fledged projects.
Euronews reports that at least seven member states, including Belgium and the Netherlands, are interested in developing a European warship to protect their waters and respond to conflicts abroad.
These member states now plan to harmonize requirements, develop a business case, and prepare for joint procurement by 2040, with the goal of making this a major European naval cooperation.
The projects that have received the most support among member states are related to integrated air and missile defense through the procurement of counter-air unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), ground-based air defense (GBAD), and ammunition.
13 member states have also expressed interest in cooperating on electronic warfare capabilities that disrupt enemy communications and sensors while protecting friendly forces from detection and interference, according to the EDA report.
"The cooperation opportunities will bring together national policy makers, planners and weapons experts to develop relevant military assets. This is in line with NATO's priorities," Shedivy said.