{"id":14258,"date":"2022-06-30T23:35:12","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T23:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/06\/30\/european-arms-demand-grows-as-russia-fallout-deepens\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:25:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:25:22","slug":"european-arms-demand-grows-as-russia-fallout-deepens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2022\/06\/30\/european-arms-demand-grows-as-russia-fallout-deepens\/","title":{"rendered":"European demand for weapons grows as Russia fallout deepens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 The changed security environment in Europe<\/a> will mean increased demand from its allies for integrated missile defenses, early warning systems, air-to-air missiles and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, a senior U.S. defense official said Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The assessment comes as rattled European countries are committing to boost their militaries in the wake of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine<\/a>. U.S. government officials, while racing to send weapons to Ukraine, are also working to backfill allies who have sent arms to Ukraine or are keen to strengthen their conventional defenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGlobally, that demand is increasing, and I do think we will continue to explore with our partners how they want to look at that,\u201d Jed Royal, the deputy director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency,<\/a> said during a call with reporters. He said needs vary by country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the State Department has primary responsibility for approving arms exports, the DSCA, a Pentagon agency central to foreign military sales, has taken a key role in U.S. and allied efforts to send and replace billions of dollars worth of weapons both from existing military supplies and through new procurements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDSCA wants to make sure we are not only thinking in terms of backfilling the United States but certainly backfill[ing] for allies and partners as they continue to support Ukraine as well,\u201d Royal said. \u201cI spend a lot of time with our allies and partners and … the demand is certainly coming in a really significant way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Potentially driving demand, NATO announced<\/a> this week it plans to increase the size of its rapid reaction force from 40,000 to 300,000 troops by next year. Forces would be based in their home countries but deploy further east, where the alliance would stockpile equipment and ammunition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond air defenses, the focus of Europe\u2019s defense investments should shift toward networks, strike weapons and munitions, logistics and base construction, Capital Alpha Partners Managing Director Byron Callan said in a note to investors Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOpen questions remain about how the Russian threat is assessed in 2025-30, how U.S. commitments to NATO are weighed depending on the 2024 [U.S. presidential] election outcome, and views on the needs and capacity of the European defense industrial base,\u201d Callan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t