Nato launches defence projects to counter Russia and China
New measures focus on critical minerals, drone capabilities and missile shields as members boost the alliance’s industrial base
Nato member states unveiled a series of defence initiatives on Tuesday aimed at strengthening weapons development, production and supply chains in response to security challenges posed by Russia and China.
Speaking at the Nato Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF) on the first day of this year’s summit in Ankara, Turkey, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte announced several new projects involving member states and defence contractors to bolster the alliance’s advanced military capabilities.
Among them was a multinational initiative on defence-critical raw materials involving 12 Nato member states: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.
While not going into detail about the plans of the initiative, Rutte said that Nato’s industrial base and supply chain must be “resilient and secure” for the alliance to remain ready and strong, meaning that Nato needs a stable supply of critical materials and components “regardless of potential shocks or disruptions”.
“That’s what this new project is all about. Several allies are committed to working together to acquire, store, transport and manage stockpiles of defence critical materials, components and recycle products,” said Rutte.
“This project demonstrates allies’ strong belief in a cooperative approach as the best way to increase security.”