European governments have approached the US government and arms companies with a list of arms markets that includes drones, missiles and missile defense systems, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine resumes demand for US weapons, sources told Reuters.
Germany, which is close to a deal for 35 Lockheed Martin Corp. F-35 fighter jets, has requested weapons systems to defend itself against ballistic missiles, sources familiar with the situation said.
At the same time, Poland is urgently seeking to purchase advanced Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle systems from the United States, a Polish government official said this week.
Requests for US weapons systems are also being made by other Eastern European countries, where allies want to acquire weapons that Ukraine has successfully used against Russian forces, two people familiar with the matter said. Weapons include Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and Javelin anti-tank missiles.
The demands come as European countries boost defense budgets to tackle an increasingly uncertain security outlook, with Germany, Sweden and Denmark among those promising a sharp rise in spending.
European allies are “doubling” their defense spending, US Undersecretary of Defense Mara Carlin told a congressional hearing last week about “Russian aggression threatening Europe’s territorial integrity.”
As the sale of weapons by US companies to foreign governments requires US approval, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Administration holds weekly meetings of the European Crisis Management Team to consider specific requests related to the current situation in Ukraine.
To speed up the US government’s approval of arms sales and transfers produced by US companies, the Pentagon has re-established a team to meet the growing demand.
“The Department of Defense is exploring options to support Ukraine’s needs, rapidly replenish US reserves and replenish depleted Allied and Partner reserves,” said a senior Pentagon official, adding that the Pentagon was working with contractors to find ways. supply chain constraints and speeding up production schedules “.
Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin Corp. jointly produce Javelins, while Raytheon manufactures Stingers. The possibility of increasing sales of all types of weapons since the beginning of the invasion on February 24 has increased the share of Lockheed by 8.3% and the share of Raytheon by 3.9%.
Raytheon executive Tom Laliberti said the company recognizes “the urgent need to replenish depleted Javelin and Stinger stocks”.
Any significant shift to the United States as an arms supplier is likely to provoke reactions from Europe’s fragmented defense industry.
The head of Dassault Aviation earlier this month criticized Germany’s decision to order F-35 fighter jets, saying it could weaken support for collaborative projects such as the Franco-German FCAS fighter jet shared by Dassault and Airbus.
Germany is also considering buying US-made missile defense systems, such as the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD), although this is not a first-line purchase, a source said. An opposition politician, for example, asked about the purchase of a missile defense system called the Iron Dome to protect Berlin. Deciding what to buy Berlin is in the early stages.
A spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense declined to comment.
Germany is already expected to decide this year to buy a new heavy-duty helicopter, which could lead to increased costs. Competitors for the € 4 billion deal include Lockheed Martin’s CH-53K King Stallion and Boeing H-47 Chinook.
Poland wants to buy several MQ-9 Reaper drones made by General Atomics in a special, expedited process and is considering further supplies later, Lt. Col. Krzysztof Platek, a spokesman for the Polish Defense Ministry’s Armaments Service, told the Defender.
“This mandate is a response to the () … security situation, especially in Central and Eastern Europe,” Platek said.
Usually, US defense agreements require years of negotiation, approval and control, as countries have spent several years deciding on their needs.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
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