Read more about the article Innovation in Europe: Prospects for an EDA Defence Innovation Hub
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Innovation in Europe: Prospects for an EDA Defence Innovation Hub

“Let us recognise that we, the European Union and the Member States, need to do much more together, and we need to do much more together right now. We cannot wait, because the choice for us is simple: either we invest a lot on defence innovation, or we will become defence irrelevant” (European Defence Agency, 2021) This year’s European Defence Agency’s (EDA) Annual Conference focus revolved around discussing the EU innovation in European Defence and what more must be done. Upon speaking to a room filled with EU and national decision-makers, military organisations, think tanks, and other relevant stakeholders within the defence industry, our High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the EU and Vice-President, Josep Borrell, recognised that much more needs to be done. Whether the EU manages to take the appropriate steps towards advancing defensive innovation or not shall decide on the relevance or obsoleteness of its armies in the future.

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20 January 2022
Read more about the article Dutch Minister of Defence Sworn in After Record Long Formation Process
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Dutch Minister of Defence Sworn in After Record Long Formation Process

Nearly a year after the fall of the previous cabinet, the new ministers for the Rutte IV Cabinet were sworn in on Monday the 10 January. The new Minister of Defence is Kajsa Ollongren from the progressive liberal party D66, and she will be supported by Secretary of State Christophe van der Maat from the VVD. The minister of defence, Ollongren, is responsible for general defence policy. This entails, among other things, the future composition and equipment of the armed forces and their deployment. International affairs, such as NATO and EU policy, will also fall under her responsibilities.

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20 January 2022
Read more about the article Indian Private Naval Sector Struggles as Government Turns to State-owned Shipyards
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Indian Private Naval Sector Struggles as Government Turns to State-owned Shipyards

The Indian plan of reaching a fleet of 175 ships in the following five years is destined to fail due to insufficient funds and because of the preference of the government to support state-owned shipyards over private business. With the government favouring state-owned shipyards for building critical naval platforms, projects undergo delays and additional costs, Navy officials state (Vivek, Defense News, 2022). The Indian Navy is currently equipped with 130 ships, and 39 vessels are under construction. However, a $1.5 billion annual budget allocated to shipbuilding programs is not enough to meet the capability deficit. Additionally, only three naval contracts of $71.42 million were assigned to private shipbuilders, with the remaining 47 projects given to state-owned shipyards. In this respect, 40 ships are envisaged to the Navy, whereas 10 for the Indian Coast Guard.

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19 January 2022
Read more about the article Russian assertions are causing concerns in Sweden and Finland again
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Russian assertions are causing concerns in Sweden and Finland again

Over the past few weeks, the discussion over the future of Ukraine has widely caught the attention, especially in Europe, where President Putin and Biden are meeting to re-draw the map of security priorities of the European continent. The increasing military activity of Moscow near the Ukrainian border and its demands can be interpreted as a return to the “Cold-War spheres of influence”.

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18 January 2022
Read more about the article The European Peace Facility (EPF) as a Union Response to Regional Conflicts: A Case Study on Training and Equipping Mali Forces.
Food For Thought

The European Peace Facility (EPF) as a Union Response to Regional Conflicts: A Case Study on Training and Equipping Mali Forces.

Although the EU is an organisation that has been active for well over half a century, its approach to the international scene has undergone several changes. Many times, the EU has alternated between moments of strong presence on the international scene and mo- ments in which its presence was decidedly more marginal, often determined by the individualism of its MS or by the opposition of other international actors. This has led to a discrepancy in the academic perception of the EU. Some scholars recognise a decisive European influence on all current international developments. Other academics believe that the power of the EU is merely superficial and that the EU does not affect the national and international superpowers in an incisive way.

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12 January 2022