About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and adaptations of Europe's defense industry in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine and munitions shortages.

As the war in Ukraine rages on, Ukraine has struggled this summer with a munitions shortage. With U.S. supplies strained by the war with Iran, European governments are having a hard time filling the gap, both because of concerns about ensuring their own national defense and because of NATO commitments. With northern European governments reaching the limits of what they feel they can safely donate, there is growing pressure elsewhere, including in Poland, Spain, and Greece, who still have stocks of Patriot interceptors. Meanwhile, Ukrainian defense start-up Fire Point is sprinting to develop the Freyja interceptor, but it is not yet ready for use.All of this exposes the need for the European defense industry to adapt. While new output will come too late for Ukraine’s immediate needs, Europe has been racing to step up its production. The European Union has launched initiatives to support drone production and integrate cyber resilience. Poland, whose defense spending has increased fourfold since 2022, is pivoting to domestic and other central European defense companies and prioritizing drones, ammunition, and other frequently used equipment. German defense giant Rheinmetall is…

People in this episode

Host: Center for a New American Security

Topics covered

• European defense industry
• Ukraine war
• munitions shortage
• NATO commitments
• defense spending
• military production
• cyber resilience

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fire Point, European Union, Rheinmetall

Products: Patriot interceptors, Freyja interceptor

Places: Ukraine, Iran, Poland, Spain, Greece, Europe

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