What Does It Mean to Be a European Defense Company Today?
In many ways, defense firms in Europe should be pleased with the recent uptick in defense spending.
Assessing Europe's Space Dependency and Its Implications
It is a classic exercise to imagine what today’s world would be like if all satellites were shut down. The exact consequences of such a scenario, which is not unlikely given the inherent vulnerability of space systems to natural, accidental and deliberate interferences, are however difficult to appreciate, even for specialists.
European Strategic Autonomy: Balancing Ambition and Responsibility
For decades, Europe has been trying to chart a path away from the military competition and strategic rivalries that brought it to ruins so many times in history.
The Real Roots of Germany's Defense Spending Problem
The 1970s were a decade of anti-war movements. Willy Brandt received the Nobel Peace Prize for his détente policy toward the Eastern Bloc – and West German defense spending peaked at 3.13 percent of GDP in 1975. Clearly, those days are long gone.
The Three Dimensions of Europe's Defense Debate
In light of transatlantic tensions and a deteriorated security environment, European security affairs are at the crossroads.
Washington Should Help Europe Achieve 'Strategic Autonomy', Not Fight It
In 2016, the European Union issued its Global Strategy, the Union’s latest foreign and security policy strategy document. The strategy “nurtures the ambition of strategic autonomy for the European Union”. American policymakers’ feelings about these aspirations are, to say the least, mixed. Several U.S. officials have expressed fear that a strategically autonomous Europe would be detrimental to the transatlantic alliance.
European Defence: Minilateralism is not the enemy
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Finally Something New in European Defense
The European defense debate is stepping away from the classical opposition between zealots of “Europe of Defense” and supporters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“Minilateralism”: A New Form of Defense Cooperation
Multilateralism has played a significant role in international cooperation.
Sharing Military Capabilities: Dead-End or Future of Defense?
The framework nations concept, elaborated in Germany, was endorsed at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in Wales in 2014. It attempts to organize defense cooperation between a limited number of countries which share a certain cultural proximity.
European Defence Economy Afflicted by the Crisis
The European defence sector generates €86 billion annually - and that is only taking into account the 2009 turnover of the European defence industry for the three areas - aeronautics, land forces and naval forces.
MALE Drones: Europe's Options?
European countries, lead by France, are expected to take a decision soon on the development and acquisition of MALE drones.
Their choices will be crucial not only for the preservation of European operational sovereignty in military terms but also to guarantee the future of the European aerospace industry.
France and NATO: An History
Relations between France and NATO have been through ups and downs. France was a founding member of the Alliance, then a protestor within the system, before moving to the margins of the Alliance – and finally returning home.
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