EU to invest nearly one billion euros in defense: What Europe gets and Ukraine's role
Illustrative photo: The EU is investing almost a billion euros in defense (Getty Images)
The European Commission will allocate €910 million through the European Defense Fund to develop a modern and high-tech defense industry in Europe, the official website of the European Commission reports.
The money will go toward strengthening Europe's defense - particularly, improving army mobility and protection against drones - thanks to new technologies and collaboration with the scientific community. For the first time, Ukrainian defense companies may also participate in the projects.
"The strengthened cooperation between the Ukrainian and European defense industries builds on outreach efforts by the EU Defense Innovation Office in Kyiv to foster closer ties and to further integrate Ukraine into the European defense industrial base, reinforcing shared security and innovation objectives," the statement says.
The European Defense Fund has a total budget of €7.3 billion for the period 2021-2027 and is the EU's key instrument for developing joint defense initiatives. It brings together companies of various sizes and scientific institutions from EU countries and Norway.
What projects are involved
In 2025, €45 million from the fund will be allocated to the development of breakthrough technologies capable of significantly changing or replacing existing military equipment and approaches - through simpler, more accessible, and more efficient solutions. Among the nine selected projects is METASTEALTH, which is working on the creation of innovative materials for stealth technologies.
Among the selected projects is the Ukrainian Small UAS, which is developing advanced unmanned systems using artificial intelligence. Another winner is ENGRTII, which unites over 45 companies and scientific institutions to create a next-generation European helicopter by 2030. One more project, EUROSWEEP, is focused on developing a joint autonomous demining system for Europe.
Following the selection of the winners, the European Commission will begin preparing grant agreements with the consortia - they are expected to be signed by the end of the year.
"The resulting projects will be instrumental in shaping the future of European defense, fostering a collaborative and innovative defense ecosystem, and enhancing the EU's strategic capabilities over the next few years," the message notes.
Europe's rearmament plan
As previously reported, in March the European Commission presented the ReArm Europe plan for rearmament worth €150 billion.
At the summit on March 6, EU leaders approved it. In particular, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen explained that the plan provides member states with fiscal space for investing in defense.
