{"id":1845,"date":"2025-04-03T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/?p=1845"},"modified":"2025-04-09T08:43:40","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T08:43:40","slug":"how-europe-has-spent-22304000000-on-weapons-so-far-in-2025-amid-growing-putin-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/softnary.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/03\/how-europe-has-spent-22304000000-on-weapons-so-far-in-2025-amid-growing-putin-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"How Europe has spent \u00a322,304,000,000 on weapons so far in 2025 amid growing Putin threat"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\"Undated\t<\/div>
Royal Marine Commandos take up position on a beach in Harvstad, Norway, after swimming ashore during a training exercise (Picture: PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Europe is rearming at a pace not seen in decades.<\/p>\n

More than \u00a322 billion have been poured into military defence contracts<\/a> so far this year \u2013 an urgent response to Russia<\/a>\u2019s preparations to wage a \u2018large-scale war\u2019 on the continent within five years<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Budgets appear to have swollen as governments are rushing to boost their borders, something resembling a real-world battlefield<\/a> from Call of Duty<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Metro<\/strong> has been tracking military contracts issued to private manufacturers since January 1, including by the UK.<\/p>\n

The findings show that billions of pounds are flowing into the production of weapons, high-tech surveillance systems and maintenance of the already existing arsenal.<\/p>\n

Why this matters <\/strong><\/p>\n

The timing and scale of the new contracts coincide with warnings from a number of security officials<\/a> that the Kremlin is laying the groundwork for a potential large-scale conventional war with Nato.<\/p>\n

Despite ongoing losses in Ukraine and international sanctions<\/a>, Russia has accelerated its military production.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Germany\u2019s government has warned that Russia\u2019s economy is generating more output than is required solely for its invasion of Ukraine. <\/p>\n

Military spending has risen to an estimated \u00a3100 billion \u2013 the equivalent to over 6% of GDP \u2013 nearly quadrupling its 2021 defence budget.<\/p>\n

Behind the scenes<\/strong><\/p>\n

After taking office in January, Donald Trump has avoided a confrontational stance toward Russia and has went even further, praising Vladimir Putin as a leader and re-establishing diplomatic relations.<\/p>\n

The US president has been working to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine, ending the full-scale invasion.<\/p>\n

While for the US, the conflict may seem like a lucrative business deal, for Europe it is a matter of survival.<\/p>\n

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Thales will supply over 5,000 lightweight multirole missiles (LMM) to Ukraine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The UK alone has awarded more than \u00a312 billion of contracts since the start of the year.<\/p>\n

Aerospace company Thales has won a \u00a31.6 billion-deal to supply 5,000 lightweight multirole missiles (LMM) to Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Defence provider Babcock International Group has also won a contract of the same amount to provide the British Army with equipment, including tanks and armoured vehicles.<\/p>\n

And Rolls-Royce Holdings are being given \u00a39 billion by the UK to design and manufacture nuclear reactors to power submarines.<\/p>\n

Emmanuel Macron announced \u00a31.2 billion in March to modernise one of France\u2019s main air bases with the latest nuclear missile technology.<\/p>\n

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Denmark has ordered 30 Patria Armored Modular Vehicles (AMVs), with the first batch to be delivered this year<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As part of the contract, he ordered the expansion of the French fleet of the Dassault Rafale fighter jets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018The world we live in is increasingly dangerous, and increasingly uncertain,\u2019 said Macron, referring to the shifting global alliances.<\/p>\n

\u2018Our country and our continent must continue to defend, equip, and prepare itself if we want to avoid war.\u2019<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Netherlands announced plans to enhance its air defence capabilities by\u00a0purchasing 22 Skyranger systems, whichwill be mounted on ACSV Gen 5 tracked armored vehicles<\/p>\n

The total procurement cost? \u00a31.1 billion.<\/p>\n

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France is investing \u00a31.25 billion in Rafale fighter jets and in an air base<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Poland just signed a \u00a31.5 contract with the US to supply logistical support for Patriot missile-defence systems.<\/p>\n

Defence minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said in Krakow: \u2018This is the protection of the Polish sky, this is within Polish airspace.<\/p>\n

\u2018So it is an absolute priority for us and it is very good that there is a Polish-American cooperation in this area.\u2019<\/p>\n

A whooping \u00a32.5 billion contract with Rheinmetall automotive and arms supplier was also unveiled by Germany in February to procure up to 368 IdZ-ES platoon systems for the Army.<\/p>\n

What is next<\/strong><\/p>\n

Greece has today will announced it will spend \u00a321 billion through to 2036 in the \u2018most drastic\u2019 defence overhaul in its modern history.<\/p>\n

Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told Parliament: \u2018\u03a4he plan involves the most drastic transformation of the armed forces in the country\u2019s modern history.<\/p>\n

\u2018The world is changing at an unforeseeable pace.\u2019<\/p>\n

The money will be spent on a new anti-missile, anti-aircraft and anti-drone defensive dome called \u2018Achilles\u2019s Shield\u2019 \u2013 similar to Israel\u2019s famed Iron Dome.<\/p>\n

The new initiative is also designed to make Greece \u2018a key branch\u2019 of the European Union\u2019s defence mechanism.<\/p>\n

Away from defence contracts, Germany is taking an unprecedented step by deploying a\u00a05,000-strong\u00a0armored brigade in Lithuania to boost Nato\u2019s eastern flank.<\/p>\n

It is the first time since World War II that the country has officially launched a permanent foreign troop deployment.<\/p>\n

Brigadier general Christoph Huber told dpa, the German press agency: \u2018We have a clear mission: to ensure the protection, freedom and security of our Lithuanian allies on Nato\u2019s eastern flank.<\/p>\n

\u2018In doing so, we also protect Nato territory and Germany itself.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tMilitary contracts per European nation\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Britain <\/strong><\/p>\n