The upcoming NATO summit in Turkey (July 7-8, 2026) will become a platform for the signing of new defense contracts worth tens of billions of dollars. This was announced by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a statement at the Atlantic Council in Washington, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
According to him, the organization is entering the initial stage of a “military-industrial revolution“, which aims not only to strengthen security, but also to provide hundreds of thousands of jobs and economic growth for allies.
End of fragmentation and bureaucracy
The main goal of the mega-deals is the transition from the production of single high-tech weapons to accelerated and mass production. Rutte stressed the need to overcome the fragmentation between the defense industries of individual countries in Europe.
In parallel, the allies plan to drastically reduce bureaucratic procedures - especially in Washington - in order to speed up the approval and delivery of ordered weapons.
Where will the billions go?
According to diplomatic sources and the drafts being prepared for the Ankara declaration, the new investments of European countries will be concentrated in three strategic areas:
Deep-strike capability: Long-range missile systems capable of hitting targets deep behind the front line.
Air Defence (ADF): Large-scale modernisation of the shield over European airspace.
Autonomous systems: Mass deployment of modern drones and unmanned technologies.
The geopolitical stake
The large-scale orders, a large part of which will be executed by the American military-industrial complex, are also seen as a clear political signal from Rutte to the Donald Trump administration about the economic benefits of the US from the Alliance. The deals will also demonstrate the countries' determination to pursue the new ambitious goal - defense spending of 5% of GDP by 2035
The Ankara summit is also expected to finalize a package of 70 billion euros in military aid for Ukraine, and President Volodymyr Zelensky will personally attend the forum in the Turkish capital.