Europe’s defense investments signal big wins for American industry

European nations are answering the call to invest more in our own defense readiness with a nearly one trillion-dollar plan to buy new weapons and technological equipment. Building on lessons learned from Russia’s war in Ukraine, it’s a move that rebalances our transatlantic military alliance in a way that is long overdue. It should also make American defense firms sit up and take notice.

A stronger Europe means a stronger NATO, and stronger cooperation between European nations and the United States in the realm of defense. Our plan, Readiness 2030, calls for an historic investment in defense spending— up to $910 billion. It also adjusts rules for financial institutions, allowing them to offer loans and provide more financial flexibility to EU member states for defense spending. This plan is focused on not only today’s realities, like protecting Ukraine, but also the potential threat of future warfare.

And to be clear, a significant amount of the investment opportunities will be open to U.S. companies.

Major European purchases of new anti-drone systems, new air and missile defense capabilities and the most powerful cyberwarfare systems are on the horizon, along with purchases of AI and quantum computing systems , all part of our commitment to building a defense force fit for purpose in tomorrow’s world.

Our investments are defensive, not offensive, with the near-term goal of ensuring our partners in Ukraine have the equipment they need to resist Russia’s ongoing invasion of their homeland and shoring up our own defense posture. But what is vividly apparent is that Europe needs more robust capabilities to restore and preserve peace and security in Europe in the long term.

Jovita Neliupšienė became the Ambassador of the European Union to the United States on Jan. 1, 2024. (EU photo)

And that is where American defense firms come in. The Readiness 2030 defense plan offers major opportunities for U.S. industry partners. Europe has never seen a collective investment of this magnitude. We‘ll be looking to work with industry leaders who can equip our continent with the most advanced defense technology and infrastructure that exists. That’s why we stand ready to welcome partnerships and investments with U.S. controlled companies in the European Union. That will spur economic activity and job growth on both sides of the Atlantic.

This investment comes at a poignant time, as this year we‘re marking 80 years since the end of World War II. Celebrations erupted across Europe and the U.S., in what was the most powerful example we have ever witnessed of European and American allied forces standing side-by-side.

Eight decades on, Europe now finds itself facing dangers on a scale that we have not seen since the Cold War, and Europe must take charge in mounting its own defense. The United States rightfully expects Europe to do more for its own defense needs. Russia’s war in Ukraine was the wake-up call we needed and now our eyes are open.

The Europe of the future is one better armed and better prepared after Russia’s attacks on Ukraine. The war is demonstrating the importance of military equipment that is adaptable and right for modern warfare. We‘ve learned that our defense technologies and industries across the continent are more than ever interlinked. Supply chains are linked, logistics are linked. But most importantly, values are linked.

We stood for each other during Soviet times, during the war on terror and throughout this conflict in Ukraine. We hope that we will not face more of these kind of challenges and by investing in our defense, but if we do, more than ever, we‘ll be ready.

But Europe‘s moves towards greater defense autonomy can’t ignore the long legacy of partnership and cooperation with the United States that brought us to this moment. Today, it is not only American troops Europe will need but even more than before, collaboration with American business, American engineers and American programmers, in addition to embracing America’s ingenuity and technological know-how.

This is a once-in-a-generation surge in European defense. A surge in investment, a surge in capabilities, in readiness. One that we believe stands to strengthen the European Union’s ties with the United States, and promote peace and prosperity on the continent.

Peace is at the heart of our European project. But to keep the peace, Europe must be made ready. We have chosen our path — to speed up, ramp up and scale up all at once.

America’s defense sector can help us get there, and the transatlantic partnership will be stronger for it.

Jovita Neliupšienė is the ambassador of the European Union to the United States.

欧洲各国响应号召，加大对自身国防战备的投入，推出一项近万亿美元的计划，用于采购新型武器和技术装备。此举吸取了俄罗斯在乌克兰战争中的经验教训，旨在重新平衡跨大西洋军事联盟，而这一举措早已势在必行。这也应该引起美国国防企业的重视。

更强大的欧洲意味着更强大的北约，以及欧洲各国与美国在防务领域更紧密的合作。我们的“2030年战备计划”呼吁对国防开支进行历史性的投资——高达9100亿美元。该计划还调整了金融机构的规则，允许它们向欧盟成员国提供贷款，并赋予其更大的国防开支财政灵活性。这项计划不仅着眼于保护乌克兰等当下的现实，也关注未来战争的潜在威胁。

需要明确的是，相当一部分投资机会将向美国公司开放。

欧洲即将大规模采购新型反无人机系统、新型防空和导弹防御能力以及最强大的网络战系统，同时还将采购人工智能和量子计算系统，所有这些都是我们致力于打造一支能够适应未来世界的国防力量的一部分。

我们的投资是防御性的，而非进攻性的，近期目标是确保我们在乌克兰的伙伴拥有抵御俄罗斯持续入侵其家园所需的装备，并加强我们自身的防御态势。但显而易见的是，欧洲需要更强大的能力来长期恢复和维护欧洲的和平与安全。

2024年1月1日，约维塔·内柳普谢涅就任欧盟驻美国大使。（欧盟图片）

而这正是美国国防企业发挥作用的地方。“2030年战备计划”为美国工业合作伙伴提供了重大机遇。欧洲从未有过如此规模的集体投资。我们将寻求与能够为欧洲大陆配备最先进国防技术和基础设施的行业领军企业合作。因此，我们随时准备欢迎与美国控股的欧盟企业建立伙伴关系和进行投资。这将促进大西洋两岸的经济活动和就业增长。

这项投资的时机意义非凡，因为今年是二战结束80周年。欧洲和美国各地都爆发了庆祝活动，这是我们所见过的欧洲和美国盟军并肩作战的最有力例证。

八十年过去了，欧洲如今面临着冷战以来前所未有的巨大威胁，欧洲必须主动承担起自身防御的责任。美国理所当然地期望欧洲在自身防御方面做出更多贡献。俄罗斯在乌克兰发动的战争给我们敲响了警钟，现在我们已经清醒过来。

在俄罗斯入侵乌克兰之后，未来的欧洲将拥有更强大的武器装备和更充分的准备。这场战争凸显了适应性强、适合现代战争的军事装备的重要性。我们已经认识到，整个欧洲大陆的国防技术和产业比以往任何时候都更加紧密地联系在一起。供应链相互连接，物流相互连接。但最重要的是，价值观也紧密相连。

在苏联时期、反恐战争期间以及乌克兰冲突中，我们都互相扶持。我们希望不会再面临此类挑战，因此，通过加大国防投入，我们比以往任何时候都做好了更充分的准备。

但欧洲在迈向更大国防自主权的道路上，不能忽视与美国长期以来建立的伙伴关系与合作，正是这种伙伴关系和合作将我们带到了今天。如今，欧洲不仅需要美国军队，更需要与美国企业、美国工程师和美国程序员开展合作，并充分利用美国的创新能力和技术专长。

这是欧洲防务领域百年一遇的飞跃。投资激增，能力大幅提升，战备水平也显著提高。我们相信，这将有助于加强欧盟与美国的关系，并促进欧洲大陆的和平与繁荣。

和平是我们欧洲一体化进程的核心。但为了维护和平，欧洲必须做好准备。我们已经选择了前进的道路——加速、加强、扩大规模，三管齐下。

美国的国防工业可以帮助我们实现这一目标，跨大西洋伙伴关系也将因此而更加牢固。

约维塔·内柳普谢涅是欧盟驻美国大使。