EU militaries continue to rely heavily on US weaponry. This was again evident at July's NATO summit in Turkey's capital, Ankara, which also included the high-level Defense Industry Forum, at which US companies were able to secure lucrative contracts.
It was also decided that European governments would play a bigger role in producing and maintaining the missiles that are so crucial to the continent's defense. Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly produce ATACMS missiles in Germany. This is one step towards increasing stockpiles without upsetting the United States, but in the long term Europe is aiming for greater independence.
Patriot air and missile defense systems best symbolize the dependence of European NATO members on the United States. For decades, the missiles have been used in NATO countries, and more recently they have been used to protect strategically important targets in Ukraine.
European governments have opted to develop several systems to decrease dependence on Patriots. France and Italy have created the SAMP/T NG system to intercept threats at high altitudes. The new generation will be capable of detecting ballistic missiles thanks to additional sensors. The first units are scheduled to be available from 2027.
