Europe remains ‘highly vulnerable’ and dependent on US defence production – report

Published connected 20/06/2025 - 13:53 GMT+2•Updated 15:18

Despite caller efforts to boost European defence production, nan bloc remains “highly vulnerable” and heavy reliant connected nan United States—particularly for major, high-end defence equipment—according to a new analysis by nan Brussels-based economical deliberation vessel Bruegel. 

Trade statistic show that nan worth of weapons imported to Europe accrued from astir €3.1 cardinal for nan play 2019–2021 to €7.9 cardinal for 2022–2024 crossed nan 27 personnel states, pinch nan US starring this summation contempt concerns complete its capabilities. 

“Europe has nan business accumulation capacities to summation accumulation of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles,” said Guntramm Wolff, Bruegel’s elder fellow, during nan motorboat of nan study 'Fit for warfare by 2030?' connected Friday morning.* “What is much concerning is nan much modern weapons systems, wherever we person constricted capabilities,” he added.  

Bruegel and Kiel Institute for nan World Economy researchers person detected that nan reliance connected nan US for definite defence and information domains is very high, including hypersonic missiles, adjacent procreation jets, AI integrated systems and intelligence services.  

“There has been immoderate summation successful various systems—artillery successful peculiar has grown substantially—but these increases are still comparatively mini compared to nan wide demand,” Wolff said. 

For example, nan study notes that Europe held 1,627 main conflict tanks successful 2023, while projections propose 2,359 to 2,920 will beryllium needed successful nan coming years, depending connected nan scenario. As for aerial defence systems specified arsenic nan Patriot and SAMP/T, banal levels successful 2024 stood astatine 35 units—far beneath nan 89 required. 

“Major investments successful investigation and improvement will beryllium essential,” nan authors counsel EU policymakers and nationalist governments, particularly fixed Europe’s lagging defence R&D compared to world competitors. 

In 2023, Europe invested €13 cardinal successful subject R&D. By contrast, China invested €21 billion, while nan US allocated a staggering $145 cardinal (around €129 billion). 

Money won’t hole everything, Europe

In March, nan European Commission unveiled its rearmament initiative—now called 'Defence Readiness 2030'—with a target of mobilising up to €800 cardinal to reside nan bloc’s astir captious defence shortfalls. 

Meanwhile, NATO is expected to telephone connected its 32 members to summation defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2032—or perchance by 2035—a target Spain has already criticised arsenic “unreasonable”. 

But simply expanding budgets won't lick nan problem, nan study warns. 

“More subject spending will not automatically and instantly construe into subject capabilities, particularly if nan defence business guidelines is already nether strain,” nan researchers argue. The existent challenge, they stress, lies successful converting backing into tangible capabilities done a coherent, forward-looking strategical and operational plan. 

With nan European defence marketplace still highly fragmented, greater integration would amended cost-effectiveness. But alongside procurement reform, subject readying must besides beryllium strengthened. 

“This is really astir rebuilding nan expertise to understand warfare done nan lens of adjacent conflict—and that is conscionable arsenic overmuch of a situation arsenic disbursing nan money,” said Dr. Alexandr Burilkov, adjunct head for investigation astatine nan GLOBSEC GeoTech Center. 

According to nan researchers' estimates, moreover nan projected €800 cardinal whitethorn autumn short—insufficient to screen nan improvement of rocket capabilities, procurement of tanks, artillery, and infantry fighting vehicles, modernisation of forces, and finance successful aerial defence systems.