The five countries with the largest military spending in Europe are preparing a joint initiative to invest in unmanned aerial vehicles. The plan is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the European defense industry against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and doubts about the future commitment of the United States to NATO, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
According to a document seen by the agency and information from the Polish Defense Ministry, the countries intend to cooperate in the development of autonomous drones.
The war in Ukraine has shown that autonomous interceptor drones can be a more economical and effective alternative to expensive air defense systems. Kiev's European allies are ready to apply the lessons learned to their own defense programs.
The defense ministers of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom will discuss the initiative at a meeting in Krakow. In parallel, European leaders are looking for ways to strengthen the continent's military capabilities amid growing uncertainty about Washington's role within the Alliance.
The draft joint statement envisages a significant expansion of the production capacity of the European defense industry. The document also welcomes the EU's intention to provide greater budgetary flexibility for defense spending and develop new financing mechanisms.
At the same time, it is emphasized that responsibility for the development of defense capabilities remains at the national level, with the EU's role being supportive.
The ministers will reaffirm their commitment to coordination within NATO and the EU against Russian hybrid threats, as well as to continued support for Ukraine. They intend to launch the initiative “Low-Budget Effectors and Autonomous Platforms“, aimed at the joint development and delivery of such systems with real combat application.
In military terminology “effectors“ are the elements that directly affect the target, and “autonomous platforms“ denote unmanned systems capable of operating independently.