Building efficient armed forces and a strong, self-sufficient defense industry independent of the United States will take European countries approximately 10 years, TASS reported citing The Economist.
According to the newspaper, many European countries would currently struggle to form even a single combat-ready brigade, whereas the conflict in Ukraine involves approximately 230 such formations on both sides. Calculations by the Bruegel European think tank estimate that Europe would need to establish 50 new brigades to replace the 300,000 US troops that could be deployed on the continent in the event of war.
Meanwhile, the paper noted that European countries must allocate significant resources to achieving technological autonomy. Justin Bronk of the London-based Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies (RUSI) stated that Europe remains largely dependent on the United States for information gathering, surveillance, target detection, and intelligence systems.
Another RUSI expert, Matthew Saville, emphasized the need for investment across all branches of European forces. He specifically noted that even the UK, despite having a powerful air force, would struggle to sustain a prolonged and intensive air campaign similar to Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reported that between February 2022 and September 2024, European NATO member states sourced approximately 52% of their weapons from European manufacturers, while 34% came from the United States. However, the IISS noted that Europeans continue to depend on the US for critical weaponry, including artillery and air defense systems.
The Economist remains skeptical about the possibility of the UK and France replacing the US nuclear umbrella. Currently, London and Paris have a combined total of about 400 nuclear warheads, which is significantly smaller than Russia's nuclear stockpile.
The newspaper noted that it would take the UK and France years to build up their reserves, requiring substantial investments. Currently, the United Kingdom allocates approximately 20% of its military budget to nuclear deterrence. Additionally, the Trident II (D5) missiles that are not deployed on British Vanguard-class nuclear submarines are stored at a shared facility at the Kings Bay naval base in the US state of Georgia, the publication emphasized.
