Read more about the article Romania’s Defence Industry at a Crossroads: Modernising Capabilities and Mitigating Dependencies through SAFE Funding
Research Report

Romania’s Defence Industry at a Crossroads: Modernising Capabilities and Mitigating Dependencies through SAFE Funding

Romania will benefit from over €16 billion in funding through the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism, the second-largest allocation established by the European Commission. This fuels a newer and unique blend of growth opportunities for its defence capabilities. Romania's defence standing, strongly shaped by the country’s strategic position and its NATO and EU membership, has significant relevance for the traditional security landscape in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea area; more so in light of evolving hybrid threats posed by Russia’s destabilising attempts to extend its sphere of influence in the region. The paper assesses current structural vulnerabilities in Romania’s defence sector, and discusses how industrial cooperation with a host of European partners, if properly pursued, will allow Bucharest to strengthen the competitiveness of the state-owned company ROMARM while also mitigating the risks of external dependency on its closest ally, the U.S., for procurement of military equipment.

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13 October 2025
Read more about the article The Forgotten Strategic Region: The Security Situation in the Western Sahel, Russian Influence, and European Security
Research Report

The Forgotten Strategic Region: The Security Situation in the Western Sahel, Russian Influence, and European Security

Since the end of European missions in the Western Sahel and the military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, the security situation in the region has deteriorated significantly. Jihadists and other insurgents have gained ground, while the regimes are being kept from total collapse by the newfound influence and military presence of Russia and its new strategic ambitions through the Russian Africa Corps. The disastrous security situation in the Western Sahel and instability in West Africa threatens European Security. This threat is worsened by the presence of Russia and other hostile powers. European countries must find new, improved, and pragmatic ways to engage with the region again.

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9 October 2025
Read more about the article High Energy Lasers – Tactical Tool or Star Wars?
Research Report

High Energy Lasers – Tactical Tool or Star Wars?

In an environment where Europe’s adversaries – non-state actors and otherwise – are using drones extensively, High-Energy Lasers (HELs) are an easy, cheap, and efficient countermeasure. However, as a speed-of-light weapon, HELs’ ability to defeat hypersonic missiles also potentially thwarts attempted nuclear first-strikes and upsets Mutually Assured Destruction calculations. It can also frustrate intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance efforts by dazzling or blinding aerial and orbital optical sensors. However, there are technical challenges of thermal blooming, power management, and line-of-sight requirements. Europe has made some effort to centralise HEL production in the TALOS-TWO project. However, multiple ongoing HEL projects risk fragmented development. Europe should further centralise such efforts by improving communication and involving more stakeholders in the development process.

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6 October 2025
Read more about the article The role of PMSCs in the EU’s Security and Defence Policy: a temporary complementary tool
Research Report

The role of PMSCs in the EU’s Security and Defence Policy: a temporary complementary tool

The following paper will examine the European Union’s reliance on Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs). By analysing regulatory frameworks, parliamentary initiatives, and case studies, namely Operation Atalanta and EULEX Kosovo, it highlights both the operational benefits and the political, legal, and ethical challenges of outsourcing security functions. The paper will show that PMSCs can provide rapid deployment, specialised expertise, and logistical support, but cannot replace core military tasks reserved to States. Gaps in regulation, accountability, and oversight risk undermining parliamentary and democratic control together with the EU’s credibility. The paper concludes that PMSCs should remain a complementary tool within EU security and defence policy, integrated through common standards, and binding and common legislation.

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1 October 2025
Read more about the article A New European “Drone Wall”?
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A New European “Drone Wall”?

On September 18, 2025, EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius advocated the creation of a “drone wall” along the Union’s eastern border and convened a meeting of the EU defence ministers to address the mounting threat. The conference, held on September 26 and chaired by the Commission, gathered ministers from Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Finland, alongside Ukraine and NATO as an observer (Liboreiro, 2025). A couple of weeks earlier, in her State of the Union speech, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen had already promoted an EU-backed drone wall to “heed the call of our Baltic friends”, defining it as “the bedrock of credible defence” (Von der Leyen, 2025, para. 11).

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1 October 2025