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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The Imperative of Joint Procurement in Europe: Defragmenting our Defence Industry

The 2023 ‘Future Shocks’ report of the European Parliamentary Research Service points out the drastic changes to the European security landscape following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the return of war on European soil (EPRS, 2023). Europe faces a multi-faceted conventional and non-conventional threat that requires short-, medium-, and long-term action from European policymakers (Anghel, 2023). The European defence architecture ought to be transformed deeply to face the new geostrategic urgency (Anghel, 2023). The key lies in greater and more collaborative investments. It is both economically and strategically untenable to operate in silos when it comes to defence. Billions are lost every year and defence capabilities remain insufficient, outdated, and lack interoperability. Should Europeans have any hope of holding a leading role in the geopolitical environment of today, it is imperative to increase collaborative efforts across the EU.

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