European efforts to boost arms production are mired in bureaucracy, bottlenecks, nimbyism, and lack of cash, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The continent’s biggest weapons makers have been long on promises to churn out more weapons to restock inventories drained by NATO’s proxy conflict in Ukraine, yet short in action.
“European defense industries have atrophied, factories have been dismantled and the supply of materials for artillery such as chemicals and casing has dwindled,” the publication noted.
It offered a litany of cases where defense contractors have faced significant hurdles.
After tossing all of its artillery into the Ukraine support sinkhole, Denmark had to buy back a decommissioned ammunition plant to resurrect its production of artillery shells last year. However, the factory remains empty as the formal tendering process is mired in political wrangling over the tendering process.
Screenshot showing technicians working on a vehicle at a Rheinmetall facility in Germany.
© Photo : The Wall Street Journal
A leading European tank maker, KNDS, had to hit the pause button on plans to expand a Munich testing range after complaints from local residents. Diehl Defense in Troisdorf faced similar community resistance when seeking permission to expand an explosives factory in the German city.
European defense companies are also short of investment, with some banks outright refusing to lend, the newspaper claimed. Accordingly, European governments have instead been buying from US suppliers, with American weapons makers enjoying a profit-making bonanza. EU countries spent 78% of their procurement outside the bloc, including 63% on US suppliers, according to statistics covering June 2022 to June 2023.
Russia has repeatedly warned that continued delivery of NATO weaponry to Ukraine not only prolongs the conflict, but risks escalating it into a “hot" war with the alliance.