In an alarming revelation, the state of Europe’s military capabilities has come under scrutiny, with German defense conglomerate Rheinmetall’s report highlighting significant shortcomings in the region’s preparedness for large-scale conflicts. The revelation is particularly concerning considering Europe’s long history of leading military advancements, now seemingly overshadowed by years of reduced defense spending.
Britain, which boasts the highest defense budget in Europe, currently operates with only about 150 tanks and a limited number of long-range artillery pieces. In a striking example of the current constraints, Britain last year considered, but ultimately decided against, providing Ukraine with multiple rocket launchers from museum reserves.
France, with the second-largest defense budget in Europe, owns only 90 long-range artillery pieces, equivalent to the number of Russian artillery destroyed each month in the ongoing Ukraine war. Denmark, in comparison, lacks long-range artillery, submarines, or air defense systems. Germany, another key European power, is reported to have only enough ammunition stockpiled for two days of combat.
This decline in military strength, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, raises concerns about Europe’s ability to respond to threats such as Russia’s expansionism and the deepening of America’s isolationist tendencies. The United States currently accounts for 70% of NATO’s power, highlighting the imbalance within the alliance.
While Russia does not pose a direct threat to Europe at present, Western leaders are wary. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s long-standing goal of reviving the Russian empire poses a potential future threat, especially if Russia prevails in Ukraine. This could lead to further destabilization in Eastern Europe, including the Baltic countries.
The decline in Europe’s weapons production capacity, coupled with economic challenges and resistance to reducing welfare spending, has significantly weakened the continent’s defense posture. The Ukraine war has laid bare these vulnerabilities. Former NATO Secretary-General Anders Raspusen stressed the necessity of increasing weapons production to counter potential threats.
If former U.S. President Donald Trump is re-elected, he is expected to demand a reduction in U.S. troops in Europe and an increase in European defense spending. This is in the context of European countries struggling to fulfill their commitment to providing artillery shells to Ukraine, highlighting the production capacity shortfall.
European military forces, shaped by counter-guerrilla warfare strategies, now face the challenge of adapting to potential large-scale ground battles like the one in Ukraine. During the Cold War, Europe’s conventional forces were significantly weaker than Russia’s, relying on nuclear deterrence. Today, conventional forces have gained importance, but Europe’s defense budgets have not kept pace with the need.
The disparity between Europe’s military capabilities and those of countries like Russia, China, and India is stark. Even Korea, Pakistan, and Japan are assessed as having stronger military power than France, Europe’s second-largest military power.
As NATO members pledged to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP, only 11 of 31 are expected to meet this target. Germany’s ambitious plan to invest 100 billion euros following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is projected to achieve only 60% of its target by year’s end.
The UK, despite a reputation for well-trained troops and elite special forces, has seen stagnation in defense spending and delayed modernization. The British Army is set to downsize, and tank modernization is progressing slowly. These developments raise serious questions about Europe’s readiness to counter threats and the time required for the military industry to bolster capabilities in response to the Russian threat.
