THE NATO leaders’ summit opened in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Tuesday with a Defence Industry Forum, unveiling major defence industry initiatives aimed at accelerating weapons production and procurement, amid growing concerns over the alliance’s expanding militarization.
Marking its first inclusion in a NATO summit, the forum brought together senior NATO officials and representatives from major Western defence companies to discuss efforts to integrate military supply chains across member states.
At the event, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte launched the Drone Edge Initiative aimed at strengthening counter-drone capabilities, saying member states would commit more than US$40 billion to the sector over the next five years. He also unveiled a new Front Door platform designed to facilitate private defence companies’ access to alliance contracts, and a 2.8-billion-dollar industrial cooperation initiative under which US defence companies, including Lockheed Martin, could partner with European firms to produce US-designed weapons, such as Abrams tanks and ATACMS missiles, in Europe.
Xinhua
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