The debate over how much of the (1,5, 150, soon more) €bn should be spent on EU vs non-EU defence manufacturers is about to move decisively in France's direction
Macron just has to sit back at this point. Trump is winning the argument for him 🇪🇺🇫🇷
Macron just has to sit back at this point. Trump is winning the argument for him 🇪🇺🇫🇷
Reposted from
Guntram Wolff
Let's be clear. Buying American weapons is a real risk to European security at this point due to political interference. Actually, it's an issue to anyone in the world relying on top US military equipment. Cc @jakluge.de
Comments
So no, Trump's policies are not good for USA industry and employment
(and honestly, at this time I have less issues with paying a French company rather a 🇺🇸 behemot like Lockheed Martin or Raytheon)
That would be insane.
Trump could disable or degrade them at any moment if he thought they might be used against Russia, which is surely the point of buying them.
Germany should build or buy European fighters, like the French Mirage 2000.
Problem for Europe is that they don't have any fifth generation fighter even in plans. There is British concept for 6th gen...
Sweden also has a project, Flygsystem 2020.
In the best case scenario, they're all at least 10 years away.
There's no choice.
Never from America or any other Russian ally.
Meanwhile...new survey shows 80% of Europeans disapprove of the US.
European politicians need to catch up.
Non-EU ≠ USA.
Poland gets modern tanks quickly for defence, then a tank factory that makes all the spares as well medium term & builds it's own long term.
Korea gets exports short term & medium / long term supply chain resilience if ever attacked as a new factory exists.
If Russia goes for Poland, SK can produce spares outside the conflict zone for Poland. NK goes for SK, Vice Versa
Both interim build fantastic armies & share refinements.
TBH Polands defence procurement team are geniuses.
They also in turn share many components and engines with the Altay MBT that Turkey is building with Korean input (another Hyundai factory opened in Turkey too).
So we are looking at 1000's of modern MBTs to NATO spec x 3 countries each tailored local but with common components.
160 PT 91 Twardy
Leopard 2 versions 52A4, 105A5 and 762PL
116 M1A1 FEP and 250 M1A2 sepv3 ordered
84 korean K2 (180 ordered)
We only don't have LeClercs and Challengers...
M51 for the next UK SSBN.
Some ASMP for UK and Germany.
UK/FR collaboration a good idea, but the timing is terrible.
It would also be messy for them too: the common missile compartment used on their sub is manufactured in the UK. Of course they could do it themselves, but the Columbia program is already delayed.
1. Land based air/missile defence (we can't fight a war in Europe if Russia can lob cruise missiles at the UK, and our only recourse is nukes).
2. Drones/shells/cruise missiles
....
A lot of companies will benefits from this.
Italian( ships)
Sweden( nlaw),
Germans ( MBT Sam)
And many more
France thought about being indépendant, but most companies have European footprint.
I truly don't think that's a sustainable position to hold.
And last time I checked, the UK is in Europe, not in Asia, Africa or America.
Like if it's an EU framing are people saying that buying Hungarian is better than buying British atm? Seems perverse and why we need a more precise term than either EU or European.
What France is trying to prevent is the use of EU money to fund the development of US, South-Korean or Japanese manufacturing capabilities.
https://bsky.app/profile/financialtimes.com/post/3ljwdxwra3i2l
https://bsky.app/profile/tilmane.bsky.social/post/3ljwtbvawu22z
The key issue here is Europe now needs to buy a LOT of weapons, FAST. We need every production line we can get hold of, running 24/7.
This is an-all-hands-on-deck situation as far as European defence is now concerned.
What’s your sense of a changed French willingness to buy more European, and not just narrowly French?
Even if vindicated on European autonomy, times will ask some uncomfortable questions of France as well. Sharing ain’t easy…
My point is just that France may not escape these uncomfortable questions completely.
There is huge — but not complete — overlap between EU & French autonomy. Some loosening on latter may be necessary.
1) Anything related to nuclear weapons needs to be under sovereign control. Parts of the weapons systems can be of foreign origin, can be done through a common project, but we need to be able to go alone if needed.
My worry is a potential trade-off btw e.g. Dassault’s purely commercial interests vs. French/EU strategic interests. Thoughts?