Read more about the article The Modernisation of the Italian Armed Forces after the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine
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The Modernisation of the Italian Armed Forces after the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has been a wake-up call for many countries in Europe, which decided to start a comprehensive modernization of their armed forces after decades of neglect. Although traditionally sceptical about prioritising the strengthening of its military, Italy is raising its defence expenditures to address the structural problems of its armed forces, which include a lack of personnel and adequate equipment. While these steps are surely essential, there is more that Italy can do to further improve the condition of its land, naval and air forces, including a better allocation of resources, the integration of innovative weapons systems in its arsenals and an increased proactivity in some European collaborative defence projects.

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29 October 2024
Read more about the article Ukraine Aid and European Defence Procurement: Insights from the Prague 2024 GLOBSEC Conference
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Ukraine Aid and European Defence Procurement: Insights from the Prague 2024 GLOBSEC Conference

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is nearing its third year, yet how to support the war-torn country remains one of the most discussed issues in security and defence circles. At the 2024 GLOBSEC Conference in Prague, discussions centred on what Ukraine’s current battlefield needs are, what the role of the EU in meeting them is, and what lessons the Union can learn from Ukraine’s experience. This paper will dedicate a section to all 3 of these aspects, providing detailed information about European actions in support of Ukraine and the future of European procurement.

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19 September 2024
Read more about the article France, Germany and Poland Propose the Weimar Triangle as a New Centrepiece for EU Defence
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France, Germany and Poland Propose the Weimar Triangle as a New Centrepiece for EU Defence

On 12 February 2024, Berlin, Paris and Warsaw pitched for the Weimar Triangle as the new centrepiece for the EU’s defence (Alipour & Bourgery-Gonse, 2024), aiming to enhance defence capability. Following these discussions, in April, the German defence minister, Boris Pistorius recommended Poland join the ‘Main Ground Combat System’ (MGCS). By June, Poland indicated its willingness to join the Franco-German projects: the ‘Future Combat Air System’ (FCAS) and MGCS projects (Alipour, 2024a). Despite this momentum, defence ministers of Poland and Germany remain silent when journalists ask for more details.In June, France also deepened its military ties with Germany and Poland (Kayali, 2024), indicating growing momentum for defence collaboration within the Weimar Triangle. By aligning national defence priorities, France, Germany, and Poland could play a more substantial role in defence and transform, at some point, the Weimar Triangle into a defence alliance. Historically, the Weimar Triangle has made outstanding achievements. However, cooperation has not been inconsistent during the last decades, with partners experiencing challenges of trust and misalignment. The evolving international landscape, characterised by the intensification of conflict in Ukraine since 2022 and the upcoming United States (US) election, has prompted new developments and investments in European defence cooperation.

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21 August 2024
Read more about the article THE ISSUE OF FRAGMENTATION IN EU SPACE GOVERNANCE
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THE ISSUE OF FRAGMENTATION IN EU SPACE GOVERNANCE

With the advent of the so-called “space race” era during the Cold War, states started giving major consideration to developing their space capabilities, having realised the many advantages they could bring. Indeed, military operations in space primarily concern satellite-based surveillance, communications, and intelligence operations, thus allowing states to benefit from them as space-related development can, among many things, extend the range and capabilities of communications, improve missile early warning and enhance situational awareness beyond any terrestrial capability.

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30 November 2023
Read more about the article Navigating the Evolution of EU Fiscal Rules: A Possible Special Status for Defence Spending?
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Navigating the Evolution of EU Fiscal Rules: A Possible Special Status for Defence Spending?

Amid a paradigm shift in EU economic governance, a draft compromise seen by Euractiv reveals that, under the new Economic Governance Review (EGR), defence spending might be granted special status within European Union (EU) fiscal rules (Pugnet &Allenbach-Ammann, 2023). According to Euractiv, this document, tabled by the Spanish presidency of the EU Council on 3 November 2023, seeks to stimulate member state investment in defence. It is also part of a grand effort to overhaul current EU debt and deficit reduction rules, which were suspended for four years in order to allow increased spending and will be returning in full force in 2024 (Leali & Smith-Meyer, 2023).

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30 November 2023