Will Europe become militarily independent from the USA? Experts point to the role of Poland
The authors of the report emphasized that despite the second largest defense expenditure in the world Europe remains strategically dependent on the United States in key areas of military operations. As experts add, the increase in expenditure does not yet translate into increased operational capabilities and independence.
The report indicates ten areas in which Europe should develop its own systems on a large scale to become independent from imported weapons technologies. According to experts significant progress towards independent operation is possible within three to five years, and far-reaching autonomy in most areas can be achieved within five to ten years.
Will Europe become militarily independent from the USA? Experts estimate the costs
Experts estimate that the cost of implementing key programs leading to European defense autonomy may amount to EUR 150-200 billion by 2030 and by the middle of the next decade – a total of approximately EUR 500 billion. They point out that with appropriate political will and European cooperation, it would be possible in the short and medium term to create a sovereign European system of deterrence and defense.
“The message is this: the bottleneck is neither money nor technology. It is about the political will to act in a European way, to make decisions and then implement them as quickly and pragmatically as possible. Ukraine shows us that it does not take decades,” the authors of the report point out.
In the report, experts also assess that defense spending is an investment in Europe's future. Each euro invested in advanced technologies can – as they emphasize – generate up to EUR 1.50 of added value.
Experts supported the implementation of these goals by strong coalitions of leading countries, without creating a new European superstructure. Germany, France, Poland and the UK would coordinate large strategic programsthe scope of conventional forces and nuclear policy dialogue, and the states of Northern Europe, the Baltic states and the Netherlands would be responsible for maritime autonomy, protection of the Baltic and North Sea and electronic warfare.
The authors of the report indicated that Europe concentrates 70 percent defense spending in the ten largest defense companies, while in the USA this percentage is below 30%. At the same time, European armies benefit from, among others, from 14 types of tanks, 15 types of fighters and various command systems, which limits the economies of scale. According to the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Europe gains 30-40 percent more less capacity per euro invested than a country with a consolidated defense system.
