Europe has significantly increased its imports of US-made weapons over the past five years, raising questions about the continent’s ability to achieve defense autonomy. According to research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Europe’s imports of weapons have surged by two-and-a-half times in the last five years compared to the previous period. Two-thirds of these imports have come from the United States.
The five largest arms exporters in 2020–24 were: 🇺🇸 USA, 🇫🇷 France, 🇷🇺 Russia, 🇨🇳 China, and 🇩🇪 Germany.
Read SIPRI’s press release: https://t.co/XUIMxuT88C#ArmsTrade pic.twitter.com/k16GqLcXob— SIPRI (@SIPRIorg) March 11, 2025
Matthew George, director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme, emphasized the impact this has on Europe’s defense capabilities, especially in supporting Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. Most European Union members did not start boosting their domestic weapons production until last year, the third year of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine. Oleksandr Danylyuk, an expert from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), criticized the West for not preparing for a protracted war earlier.
However, there is optimism that Europe can turn itself around.
“Europe collectively outproduces the US in steel, civil aircraft, vehicles and ships. This could give the EU the impetus to help Ukraine and begin domestic rearmament even as Donald Trump abandons Kyiv and threatens to leave NATO.” https://t.co/wKQAuU1elW
— Klaus Dodds (@klausdodds) March 11, 2025
Retired US Colonel Seth Krummrich, currently a vice president for the security consultancy Global Guardian, believes that new technologies like AI and drones offer Europe a chance to innovate in defense. Ukraine has already taken significant steps in this direction.
The government in Kyiv set a goal to produce a million drones, and by October last year, had received 1.3 million from Ukrainian suppliers, a figure expected to rise to 1.6 million by the end of December.
Europe’s reliance on US-made arms
SIPRI’s research also revealed that Ukraine has become the world’s largest arms importer over the past five years, accounting for 8.8 percent of global transfers.
Ukrainian parliamentarian Inna Sovsun explained the necessity of these imports due to the intense nature of the conflict with Russia. Europe could potentially expand its own industrial base similarly. SIPRI’s findings indicate that Western European firms have increased their market share in the global arms trade, despite the US holding the largest share at 43 percent.
The EU recently announced up to 800 billion euros ($868bn) in new funds for weapons procurement, with $158bn earmarked for joint procurement from European firms. Germany alone is considering a 400-billion-euro ($434bn) boost in defense spending. While Europe is set to increase domestic production, it still faces challenges.
European aircraft like France’s Rafale, Sweden’s Gripen, and the multinational Eurofighter have lost sales to Lockheed Martin’s F-35. Additionally, Europe lacks air defense systems comparable to the US-based Raytheon’s Patriot and its PAC-3 missiles. As Europe looks to bolster its defense capabilities, the emphasis will likely shift towards leveraging new technologies and increasing domestic production to reduce reliance on foreign arms, particularly from the United States.
Image Credits: Photo by Jack O’Rourke on Unsplash
Cameron is a highly regarded contributor in the rapidly evolving fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. His articles delve into the theoretical underpinnings of AI, the practical applications of machine learning across industries, ethical considerations of autonomous systems, and the societal impacts of these disruptive technologies.
