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Eu Defence

All articles tagged with #eu defence

world8 days ago•4 min saved

Germany launches €800bn borrowing spree to upgrade defence

Germany plans to borrow more than €800bn by 2030 to fund a defence surge, lifting the defence budget to about €109bn next year and €183.6bn by 2030, aided by a constitutional tweak that exempts military spending from the debt brake; the package includes €11.6bn in Ukraine military aid next year and targets core military spending of 3.5% of GDP by 2029, six years ahead of NATO’s goal, while critics warn that interest costs will rise sharply as debt grows.

via Financial Times|

#eu-defence #friedrich-merz #german-economy

world29 days ago•5 min saved

France eyes UAE pact for Rafale upgrade after FCAS collapse

France is in talks with the United Arab Emirates to collaborate on upgrading its Rafale fighters after Germany pulled the plug on the Franco-German FCAS project, with the UAE potentially funding and ordering Rafale jets and contributing to the program’s development. The move comes as Paris reassesses how to finance a future fighter for the 2040s without Germany, while a Franco-German tank program remains delayed; India’s Rafale deal and Sweden’s Saab are also in play as alternatives are explored.

via Financial Times|

#aerospace-and-defence #defence-partnerships #eu-defence

opinion1 month ago•7 min saved

FCAS collapse exposes rift over Europe’s defence sovereignty

Germany terminated the €100bn Future Combat Air System fighter project with France and Spain, exposing ongoing Franco-German leadership and technology disputes and raising questions about Europe’s ability to build a sixth-generation jet alone. France’s finances and Dassault’s reluctance to share tech complicate a revival, but Berlin and Paris could salvage other FCAS elements (drones, sensors, combat cloud) and pursue related programmes like long‑range missiles and early‑warning systems to boost deterrence and reduce US dependency.

via Financial Times|

#aerospace-and-defence #eu-defence #europe

world1 month ago•4 min saved

NATO commander: Russia isn’t seeking conflict as US reduces Europe assets

NATO’s top US commander, General Grynkewich, says Moscow isn’t looking for a conflict and that deterrence remains credible, even as Washington plans to shrink European forces and shift capabilities elsewhere; the move raises Baltic security concerns, while Grynkewich emphasizes readiness and contingency planning, including long‑range fires, to ensure NATO can respond quickly if needed.

via Financial Times|

#eu-defence #nato #russia

world4 months ago•3 min saved

Starmer's EU defence push faces sovereignty and cost questions

At the Munich Security Conference, Keir Starmer proposed closer UK-EU security links via a multinational defence initiative and a SAFE-style borrowing scheme to cut rearmament costs amid threats from Russia and China. Critics warn the plan could replicate a fiscal-union-like framework that drags Britain into EU debt schemes, risks taxpayer exposure, and rests on EU decision-making that may be ill-suited for a broad, NATO-aligned defence. The piece argues for a NATO-plus approach outside the EU and cautions against Eurobond-style financing and deeper EU entanglements.

via UnHerd|

#eu-defence #nato-plus #safe

eu-defence5 months ago•7 min saved

Germany mulls European nuclear deterrent with France as US footprint shifts

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has opened talks with Emmanuel Macron on strengthening Europe’s nuclear deterrent, including a potential German role in France’s nuclear umbrella, amid fears of a reduced US military presence in Europe. Macron says the discussions are exploratory and within NATO, aiming to adapt Europe’s security architecture and repair transatlantic ties as Europe faces rising great-power competition.

via Financial Times|

#eu-defence #france #germany