The EU Promotes Simplified Armaments to Address New Challenges

Reference News Network reported on June 1 The Spanish website "Confidential Report" published an article on May 29, titled "Reducing 'High-End Custom' Weapons and Increasing Affordable Options: The EU Pushes for Simplified Armaments," authored by Nacho Alarcon. The full excerpt is as follows:

Multiple incidents involving Russian drones have occurred in the airspace of several NATO eastern flank countries, forcing NATO to reach a disturbing conclusion: it can no longer shoot down aircraft worth tens of thousands of dollars with missiles worth millions. This imbalance of power has sounded alarm bells for NATO and the EU, but for Ukraine, which is deep in its fifth year of war with Russia, this is nothing new.

Brussels is developing a roadmap to respond to potential military attacks by 2030, with cost and scale issues becoming core challenges. The issue of drones is particularly prominent and closely related to the conflict in Ukraine. This change has far-reaching implications, and EU countries are still exploring how to respond. However, for Europeans, the cost issue goes far beyond this. The cost of weapon production in Europe is much higher than that of its allies, such as the United States; it is also higher than that of its competitors, such as Russia.

Reducing Weapon Production Costs

Andrius Kubilius, the EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Affairs, called on EU member states to change their inherent perceptions of military production in an interview. He said, "Europeans produce what they call 'high-end custom' products. These products use cutting-edge technology, are highly advanced, costly, and cannot be produced at scale. What Ukrainians produce are what European companies refer to as 'good enough' products."

This issue is no longer a secret. The fragmentation of the internal military market in the EU and the industrial nationalism exhibited by member states to protect their large national defense enterprises are the two major problems. The European Commission has long been committed to addressing these issues. The defense strategy to be released in 2024 aims to increase joint procurement, raise the proportion of equipment procured within Europe, and strengthen the internal military market in areas such as ammunition, drones, and air defense systems.

Another issue involves a subtle shift in mindset. A report titled "Ready for War by 2030?" published last year by the Bruegel Institute in Belgium and the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University pointed out that "purchasing 3D printers for mass production of drones may be more effective than developing new advanced weapon systems, but this requires breaking with tradition." The report's authors also indicated to Brussels that if the model does not change, the estimated €800 billion needed for Europe's rearmament by 2030 will be far from sufficient.

From a military perspective, economic factors are also crucial. The side with the most expensive equipment is at a disadvantage because the destruction of that equipment means more funds are needed to replace it, further exacerbating financial pressure. Experts have clearly articulated this in their articles: a drone costing less than $300,000 sank the Russian patrol ship "Sergey Kotov," valued at $65 million. The articles also noted that using kamikaze drones on the front lines in Ukraine is economically beneficial, aiming for a $500 drone to attack targets worth more than twice its value to maximize return on investment.

Mumin Ahmadoglu, a military procurement expert at the University of Vienna, pointed out that after the Cold War, the European defense industry shifted its focus to pursuing technological advancements, reducing attention to "ammunition production, reserves, and stockpiles." This technological race has also increased the complexity of supply chains, making the industry more vulnerable.

Breaking Down Industrial Nationalism

Emphasizing innovation is also an industrial choice. Innovations in the security and defense sectors often radiate to other economic areas, while the driving effect of mass-producing cheap equipment is relatively limited. The report from the Bruegel Institute and Kiel University pointed out that military planners must balance three aspects of demand simultaneously. First, to make up for the shortfall in conventional weapons; second, to invest in existing advanced technologies, such as the F-35 fighter jet; and third, to anticipate disruptive technologies that may change the battlefield landscape and even render current advanced systems obsolete. Therefore, the key lies in how to coordinate quantity, cost, and technological innovation.

The ammunition issue is another stark example of Europe having to face reality.

German defense company Rheinmetall built a factory in just over a year, expected to produce 350,000 shells annually starting in 2027. Its CEO also estimated that the current annual production of shells in Europe is about 2 million, while Russia's annual production is between 4 million and 5 million.

The EU has launched an initiative called the "Ammunition Production Support Act" aimed at stimulating investment in ammunition.

Kubilius also proposed the possibility of establishing a European strategic ammunition reserve to provide long-term contracts to the industry.

In fact, industrial nationalism in the European defense sector is at the core of the problem. EU member states still wish to protect their domestic industries. The Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project involving Germany, France, and Spain is a clear example, where the ongoing power struggle between Airbus and Daimler for control of the project threatens its feasibility. Similarly, Kubilius defended the BROMO space project jointly developed by German Airbus, French Thales, and Italian Leonardo in an interview. He believes, "Maintaining a competitive environment at the national level is always a tricky issue, especially with the emergence of major European giants, but I think this should not become a stumbling block for us to nurture some leading domestic enterprises." (Translation/ Wang Meng)