For the first time, the European Union has agreed on joint defense procurement among its member states. Ukraine will also receive a lot
15 November 10:28
For the first time in its history, the European Union has approved support for joint defense procurement by its member states. The total investment amount is 300 million euros. In particular, it is planned to purchase missiles and ammunition, some of which will be sent to Ukraine. This is stated in a press release published on the website of the European Commission, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
The European Commission has approved funding for five cross-border projects to support more coordinated and efficient defense procurement between EU member states. Each of the 5 selected projects, which are being implemented under the European Instrument for the Strengthening of the Defense Industry through Cooperative Procurement (EDIRPA), will receive €60 million, making a total of €300 million.
The total procurement value of the five selected projects exceeds €11 billion. Joint procurement of critical defense products by EU member states will be carried out in three areas:
Procurement of air and missile defense systems
Two projects will strengthen joint air and missile defense capabilities. The MISTRAL project supports the joint procurement of very short-range Mistral air defense systems by nine member states (France, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Spain, Hungary, Slovenia, Romania, Denmark). The other project, JAMIE (for “Joint Air and Missile Defense Initiative in Europe”), will lead to the joint procurement of IRIS-T SLM medium-range air defense systems by six member states (Germany, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Austria, Estonia, Latvia). These are systems to protect against airborne threats such as combat aircraft, attack helicopters, and unmanned aerial systems.
Procurement of modern armored vehicles
EDIRPA will also support the procurement of the Common Armored Vehicle System, a modern armored vehicle for the secure transportation of troops, by four member states. Modern armored vehicles offer high performance and unprecedented mobility.
Procurement of ammunition
In the next two projects, EDIRPA will support the joint procurement of different types of 155 mm artillery ammunition.
How many EU Member States are involved in the procurement
The selected EDIRPA projects cover 20 Member States, some of which will be participating in joint defense procurement projects for the first time. This reflects EDIRPA’s role in encouraging cooperation between member states to address critical capability gaps, including those exacerbated by the transfer of defense products to Ukraine. On average, six Member States participate in each project, which is twice the minimum legal requirement of three Member States.
What Ukraine will get
Most of the selected projects include the purchase of defense products intended for Ukraine. These include air defense and missile defense systems, as well as ammunition, which will serve to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities in the face of Russian aggression.
