EU boosting missile and ammunition production to historic highs — FT
Photo: The European Union is increasing its production of rockets and shells (Getty Images)
European defense companies are expanding their production capacity three times faster than before Russia invaded Ukraine, according to the Financial Times.
Industrial areas occupied by military production exceed 7 million square meters, and the publication called this process rearmament of historic proportions.
An analysis based on satellite images shows that the annual growth of military industrial space in Europe has increased from 790,000 square meters in 2020-2021 to 2.8 million square meters in 2024-2025. This growth has been made possible by significant financial support from the European Union, including the €500 million ASAP (Act in Support of Ammunition Production) program.
According to the agency's experts, by the end of 2025, ammunition production in Europe will increase from 300,000 to 2 million units per year, which means a sevenfold increase in production, in particular of artillery shells, rockets, and explosives.
European countries are preparing for war
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European countries began to actively prepare for possible Russian aggression against the European Union. In particular, they are rearming their armies, developing plans to repel a possible attack, and so on.
Recently, it became known that the German army had developed a strategic document in which it identified Russia as an existential threat to Germany and Europe as a whole.
Before this, the German Bundeswehr warned that Russia was preparing for war with NATO. It may be ready for it by the end of this decade, according to an army report received by the German media.
In addition, the French General Staff noted that Russia could become a real threat to Europe in five years, given the pace of Russia's rearmament.
