The costs of relying on non-European defence suppliers
Trends in European military purchases: a rise in non-European suppliers
Ever since the end of World War II, the biggest part of European defence acquisition budgets has been spent on non-European systems and equipment. After the end of the Cold War, this trend continued (albeit to varying degrees among European countries) on the basis of drastically reduced defence budgets.
In the two years following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine the predominance of non-European suppliers in Europe reached a new peak. Between February 2022 and mid-2023, acquisitions from outside Europe accounted for 75% of new orders publicly announced in the EU.
Proportion of European defence spending on non-EU imports
- 60 %
2007-16
- 75 %
Since start of Russia’s war against Ukraine
Most defence procurement decisions have important ramifications: militarily, technologically, strategically, and politically. Consequently, the predominance of non-European suppliers on European defence markets bears far-reaching implications for Europe’s security.
In its European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) of March 2024, the EU therefore calls for reversing the current procurement trend. It even sets specific targets, whereby by 2030 at least 50% of defence procurement budgets should be spent within the EU, and 60% by 2035.
However, defence procurement decisions are an exclusive prerogative of national governments. The EU can provide incentives to cooperate and buy more European, but ultimately it is for Member States to decide what to buy and from whom. The key to reversing the persistent dominance of non-European suppliers in Europe lies in capitals.
To avoid critical dependencies and safeguard Europe's security, national policy- and decisionmakers should carefully evaluate the short- and long-term consequences of their procurement decisions and the total cost of buying non-European.
Main factors in why European countries buy defence equipment from abroad
Why buying military equipment abroad endangers Europe’s defence industry
How purchasing defence equipment abroad risks Europe’s security
The predominance of non-European defence purchases also has ramifications for the security of European countries.
The cost of non-Europe in defence procurement
Read ASD's paper on the cost of non-European suppliers in European defence markets. Published by ASD in September 2024.