ANKARA – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke at the Defence Industry Forum held in Ankara as part of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit.
Rutte announced that the allies would acquire 12 Airbus A400M aircraft to enhance air power capacity. Noting that a new multinational project has been launched in this context, Rutte stated that the project will provide worldwide strategic air transport capability.
At the forum, it was reported that NATO's 10th Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft has joined the Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet. It was emphasized that with this development, a full fleet of 12 MRTT aircraft is approaching. Rutte said the A330 MRTT and A400M provide the alliance with two multinational high-capacity fleets. He noted that the Airbus platforms are built on Europe's industrial leadership, NATO-EU cooperation and contributions from industrial partners in the United States, and said, 'They keep NATO's air power strong, reliable and ready for decades to come.'
A New Era in Airborne Early Warning
Rutte said the Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS fleet, which NATO has relied on for years, has reached the end of its lifespan, and announced that about 10 Saab GlobalEye aircraft will be procured to replace them. He stated that GlobalEye can conduct simultaneous surveillance in air, sea and land domains and detect complex threats including ballistic missiles. Rutte described the programme as 'a true success story'.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Drone Defence
It was reported that NATO is adding unmanned aerial vehicles to its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance power. Rutte stated that these vehicles will provide uninterrupted surveillance day and night in vast maritime areas, and also announced that through the 'NATO Drone Edge' initiative, allies will invest over $40 billion in counter-unmanned aerial vehicle defence capabilities over the next five years. He added that allies have committed to training five times more drone operators in their armed forces by 2027. He noted that with the participation of Finland, France and Sweden in the NATO Flight Training Europe project, the number of participants has reached 20, and there are 16 training centres in eight countries.
Industrial Cooperation and New Platforms
Rutte announced the 'NATO Front Door for Industry' platform to facilitate engagement with the industrial sector, and the 'NATO Engine' initiative aimed at accelerating large-scale production and innovation. He explained that the 'NATO Engine' will offer the most promising companies the opportunity for cross-border production and cooperation without the need for major investments, and that production will be accelerated by matching existing factories with idle capacity.
The allies have formed a new procurement coalition to address capability shortfalls by combining demand and consistent supply approaches.
