The meeting between the head of NATO and the European arms industry in Brussels is to take place next week. According to the Financial Times, there will be many industry representatives, and the largest European companies, such as Rheinmetall, Safran, Airbus, Saab, MBDA and Leonardo, will send their delegations. However, the companies refused to comment on this subject to the FT.
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NATO wants to accelerate weapons production
During the meeting, Mark Rutte is expected to put pressure on manufacturers to speed up and increase production. The idea is to strengthen the continent's military capabilities as quickly as possible and at the same time meet the expectations of US President Donald Trump, who is dissatisfied with the lack of support from the alliance during the US-Iran war. The meeting in Brussels is also intended to prepare the ground for the annual NATO summit, which is to be held in July in Ankara (Türkiye), sources familiar with the matter inform the Financial Times.
Ahead of the meeting, the companies were asked to share information on major investments and their capabilities to increase production, with particular emphasis on areas such as air defense and long-range missiles. Sources point out that although Rutte regularly meets with top European defense industry officials, gathering representatives of a large number of companies at one meeting is unusual.
Rutte wants European defense companies to invest quickly, without waiting for significant new government orders. In turn, companies accuse governments of not having enough long-term purchasing contracts. Despite these tensions, Rutte also wants to hear from companies about barriers to increasing production, sources say.
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Some companies will present plans next week to address the need to increase the number of factories and staff, secure key raw materials and strengthen supply chains. The talks will also cover ways to reduce dependence on Chinese and Taiwanese components.
— The Secretary-General meets regularly with industry and financial institutions across the alliance to encourage increased production, innovation and investment to meet our skills needs, a NATO official told the Financial Times. This mainly concerns key areas in which European armies largely rely on the US: air defense, long-range missiles and space satellites.
