Read more about the article The State of the European Union Address 2021 by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and what it means for European Defence and Security
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The State of the European Union Address 2021 by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and what it means for European Defence and Security

A couple of weeks ago, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, gave her annual address on the State of the European Union. The EU was praised for its impressive vaccination rate and its good start toward recovery from one of the most intense crises the continent has ever faced. A myriad of topics is addressed in Ursula von der Leyen’s speech. This short paper will focus on the mentions that affect EU Security and Defence directly or indirectly (Von der Leyen, 2021).

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12 October 2021
Read more about the article The Effectiveness of the EU Policy in the Eastern Neighborhood
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The Effectiveness of the EU Policy in the Eastern Neighborhood

Since 2004, the European Union (EU) policy towards the Eastern neighbourhood countries has been dominated by the European Commission through the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). (Gänzle, 2008, 6) Article 8…

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7 October 2021
Read more about the article Collaborative Procurement and European Defence Fund in the context of Strategic Autonomy Case Study on Autonomous Weapons
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Collaborative Procurement and European Defence Fund in the context of Strategic Autonomy Case Study on Autonomous Weapons

The European Union’s foreign policy affairs and security and defence matters have always been the areas in which progressing and ad- vancing has proved to be a challenging task. Despite the integration achievements accom- plished in other EU fields, such as the Sin- gle Market, the European Monetary Union, or the Common Agriculture Policy; the cul- tural, identity, historical, and geographical differences between the MS have prevented the consolidation of a common strategic cul- ture. In this context, as the main international events of the last years have proved, the EU is still unable to carry out military operations outside its borders, not even when the stabili- ty of the European project itself is being called into question and challenged.

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6 October 2021
Read more about the article nEUROn Integration: Strategic Enhancement of Land Force Capabilities
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nEUROn Integration: Strategic Enhancement of Land Force Capabilities

Advancements in augmented battalion structures in contemporary military doctrine require urgent interoperability and integration with advanced combat aid systems. A prime example of the intersectional application of modern technological advancements in military structure reform is highlighted in drone technology, particularly in the regional developments of the European drone industry, in how integration will be implemented in line with autonomous European doctrine, and EU developments of expeditionary deployment. The core of this kind of European multilateral technological development can be analysed astutely within the nEUROn drone programme, a joint-funded project undertaken by France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland (French Senate, 2005).

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5 October 2021
Read more about the article New Developments for MBTs: Dutch LEOPARD 2 A6 MBTs to Join eFP
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New Developments for MBTs: Dutch LEOPARD 2 A6 MBTs to Join eFP

The latest events in the field of international security have led to a demand for an increase in the development of tools and weapons used in defence. After 2014, when Russia started the Crimean War, both NATO and the EU reviewed the need to expand their heavy armament component. In this sense, a particular focus has been directed to the category of Main Battle Tanks (MBTs). However, the growing demand for MBTs goes hand in hand with relentless technological development. Currently, to be truly effective, a squadron of tanks must meet certain characteristics and standards on active protection systems, vetronics and optronics, and automation (Marrone et al, 1, 2020). However, these standards are currently impossible to meet on a European level. Currently, the European armies possess a squadron of MBTs inadequate to deal with present conflicts. Moreover, the availability of MBTs is minimal and insufficient. This, in turn, makes the EU a fragile target from the perspective of heavy weapons (Hoffmann, 2010).

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30 September 2021