Allied Heads of State and Government endorsed a new NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion pledge at the Washington Summit on Wednesday, 10 July 2024, according to a press release.
The pledge aims to accelerate defence industrial capacity and production across the Alliance.
During the meeting, Allied leaders emphasised that a robust defence industry is essential to maintain NATO’s deterrence and defence capabilities and to continue supporting Ukraine.
The pledge includes long-term actions such as developing national plans to strengthen industrial capacity, accelerating multinational procurement, enhancing interoperability standards, removing trade and investment barriers, and securing critical supply chains, as noted in the press release.
Allies also committed to delivering critical capabilities to Ukraine rapidly, with an initial focus on munitions and air and missile defence systems.
This new pledge builds on the Defence Production Action Plan agreed upon at the Vilnius Summit in July 2023. Since then, Allies have made significant progress in updating national defence strategies, streamlining procurement processes, and investing in industrial production.
In January, European NATO Allies agreed to jointly purchase up to 1,000 Patriot missiles. Additionally, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) placed an order for Stinger anti-aircraft missiles worth $700 million.
Over the next five years, NATO Allies across Europe and Canada plan to acquire thousands of air defence and artillery systems, 850 modern aircraft—primarily 5th generation F-35s—and a substantial number of high-end capabilities.
Let’s fast forward a few years to see what actually transpires eh ?
Lets fast forward a few years to see what actually transpires eh ?
I find it amazing that this has taken long.
Even cranking up the existing plants for 155mm shells has taken an age of handwringing over costs.
All things considered, it may ultimately prove beneficial to discover various deficiencies/shortcomings in production and logistics before NATO becomes a direct participant in conflict. There is virtually an entire generation of benign neglect for NATO to recover from.
It is ridiculous.
We do need to face up to the fact that Xi & Putin are marshalling all the nutters and misfits to, at best, cause low level trouble. At worst start a coordinated series of wars.
Xi has unfortunately learned that Mad Vlad’s famous phrase ‘nobody else has anything like this system’ was actually tongue in cheek and should be treated as ‘nobody else has anything as useless as this system’
So all the systems mentioned are US built, Patriot, Stinger, F35 ! I get that the F35 is the only game in town at present, but other than Trident why US missiles ?
Sorry but the way things are going Uncle Sam may not be the most reliable supplier in the near future. It’s not inconceivable that this could be the last NATO conference that includes North America.
Europe needs to get its act together and harmonise what it buys and ensure continuity of supply, and no that doesn’t mean we all build our own everything, just be a bit more logical.
For example we have 2 separate consortiums building twin engine next generation Stealthy Fighters. Both look like they will be F22 sized, high tech and very expensive. So if both get built then what do European countries that want a smaller single engine fighter buy ? And at the end of the day not even the US can afford an all high end force.
Just think what coordination would look like, 2 separate projects but both using as much cross over equipment as possible.
You could end up with single and twin engine aircraft with same engines, radar, cockpit, EW, sensors and weapon systems. And unlike US aircraft you do what Sweden did and design an agnostic weapon integration Avionics system.
Germany want to set up a European AD system but it’s entirely US, Israeli or German weapons being used.
They seem quite happily oblivious to the need for Europe to have its own home built missile systems. What really gets to me about that is Germany is quite happily building up a near monopoly of AFV building in Europe.
IMHO European NATO countries need to get their heads out of the sand, smell the roses and accept the possibility of a NATO without the US and not be afraid of that.
After all 600 million people should be able to afford to defend themselves against 149 Russians.
Er…that would be 149 million Russians, give or take a few hundred thousand casualties in UKR. 😉
Actually believe that it would be very prudent to set up ENATO center(s) of excellence for R&D and production of high value systems. Certainly the eastern European, Nordic and selective some others would be willing to cooperate. Not quite as sanguine re the co-operation of the French and Germans. Dunno, could simply be a personal bias…🤔
…and select additional countries…🙄
About time.