Members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have unveiled multibillion-dollar defense contracts to acquire next-generation drones and surveillance aircraft. The move is intended to show that Europe is responding to US President Donald Trump's demands for increased defense spending.
According to Bloomberg, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte disclosed the contracts Sunday at a defense forum in Ankara, the Turkish capital. NATO leaders are gathering in Ankara this week for their annual summit.
At the center are two major deals. Eleven countries will adopt Sweden's Saab airborne radar detection system, replacing US-made Boeing aircraft. One NATO diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the contract is worth $5 billion (about 7.6 trillion won). In addition, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Norway will acquire up to five Northrop Grumman Triton surveillance aircraft for $2.7 billion (about 4.1 trillion won).
Notable is the shift by Europe toward regional procurement of US-made equipment. At the same time, key equipment still relies on US manufacturers. Separately, seven countries will acquire Airbus A400M military aircraft, a model that supports airlift and aerial refueling. Member states will invest more than $40 billion (about 61 trillion won) in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years.
Officials interpreted the entire week as a response to Trump. "The message is that Europe is expanding its role in NATO and spending billions of dollars," one official said. Trump has criticized Europe and Canada for freeriding on US military power. Member states, feeling a security crisis over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have responded with new arms spending.
Still, Europe remains far from military self-reliance. It lacks the capacity to produce key modern warfare weapons on its own, such as drones and advanced air defense. The Saab radar system reflects Europe's aspiration to reduce dependence on the United States. But there are still many capabilities Europe has yet to develop, such as the Triton maritime surveillance equipment.
The "Europe first" stance is causing friction with the United States. Washington wants its allies to increase defense spending but buy American products. Tensions rose as the EU designed 150 billion euros (about 261 trillion won) in defense loans and 90 billion euros (about 157 trillion won) in loans for supporting Ukraine to prioritize regional companies. Rutte said of the Triton that it "provides the situational awareness needed to stay ahead of threats."
