NATO has said its goal of bringing new military technologies into service within 24 months is achievable, as the Alliance seeks to speed up procurement and bring commercial innovation into defence at pace.
Speaking on the margins of NATO Headquarters in Brussels, a NATO official said the Rapid Adoption Action Plan, launched following decisions at the Hague summit, is designed to remove barriers to adoption and ensure that new products reach frontline forces far faster than traditional procurement cycles.
The plan aims to help Allies accelerate acquisition processes and adopt new technological products within a maximum of two years, while also encouraging governments to allocate dedicated funding for innovation, accept more risk in procurement, and work with non-traditional suppliers. The NATO official said the approach is driven by lessons from the war in Ukraine, where rapidly evolving technologies such as drones and counter-drone systems have repeatedly reshaped the battlefield.
“The last couple of years, including throughout the war in Ukraine, we’ve seen the great role that innovative solutions have played in strengthening defence and security,” the official said.
I asked whether the 24-month adoption target was too optimistic or already being achieved. The NATO official said the goal was realistic and in some cases might even be too slow. “I don’t think it’s too optimistic,” he said. “There are cases where 24 months can be too long… commercial off-the-shelf solutions can be acquired within six to nine months.”
He added that advanced experimental areas such as quantum technologies would likely exceed the 24-month timeline, but said the target was grounded in evidence and extensive consultation. “Based on empirical data… we’ve seen that 24 months is reasonable… and we’re having evidence that this works,” he said.
Asked separately about AI integration in NATO systems, the official said NATO’s AI strategy had been updated in 2024 and that integration was progressing, but depended on risk tolerance and system maturity. “Integration is progressing, but it is case by case specific,” he said.
The NATO official also said shortening timelines did not mean compromising safety, arguing that rapid adoption should focus on proven commercial technology where possible. “Shortening is not about putting risky technology in the hands of war fighters,” he said, citing drones and counter-drone systems as examples where acquisition, testing and adaptation could happen within weeks or months.
On industry responsiveness, I asked whether defence primes were adapting to clearer demand signals. The NATO official said production was improving but that the pace still needed to increase. “The tide is clearly shifting, but we have to do more,” he said.
He said late-stage investment in defence, security and resilience had tripled to $4.5 billion, which he described as evidence of a maturing ecosystem. In closing remarks, the NATO official said NATO’s next challenge is helping innovative firms scale from prototypes into reliable mass production. “What Allies need is companies that can produce alternative solutions at scale,” he said, adding that NATO will focus next on contracting, manufacturing and financing mechanisms.
