Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs A renewed push from Europe to distance the continent from the U.S.’s military-industrial powerhouse is raising fresh questions about Europe’s future ties to Washington, including whether European states will still opt for buying vaunted U.S. air defense systems and advanced fighter jets.Why It MattersEuropean nations are scrambling to adjust to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which has redefined decades of U.S. foreign policy toward Europe.European officials have publicly and privately agreed with demands from Trump officials to dramatically increase defense spending, and wean the continent off the reliance it has long enjoyed on the U.S. military and its formidable production capabilities.
Military personnel direct F-35 jets and helicopters on the deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as it participates in the NATO Steadfast Defender 2021 exercise off the coast of Portugal, Thursday, May 27,…
Military personnel direct F-35 jets and helicopters on the deck of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth as it participates in the NATO Steadfast Defender 2021 exercise off the coast of Portugal, Thursday, May 27, 2021.
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AP Photo/Ana Brigida
European leaders Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, have attempted to steer between papering over cracks opening up across the Atlantic and backing massive European efforts to stand up alone, without U.S. support.But there is also a growing concern over whether the U.S. can still be counted on as a stalwart ally, and whether buying advanced American technology is still the best decision for the majority of NATO’s members.What To KnowFrench President, Emmanuel Macron, said on Sunday that he would go out and “convince” his European allies that “have become accustomed to buying American” to spend their money on continental technology instead.The U.S. is “by far” the largest of the world’s arms exporters of the past four years, making up 43 percent of global arms exports, a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said earlier this month.”European NATO states have taken steps to reduce their dependence on arms imports and to strengthen the European arms industry,” Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher at the think tank, said in a statement accompanying the report.”But the trans-Atlantic arms-supply relationship has deep roots,” Wezeman added. “Imports from the USA have risen and European NATO states have almost 500 combat aircraft and many other weapons still on order from the USA.””Those who buy Patriots, we must offer them the new-generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T,” Macron told French media on Sunday. “Those who buy the F-35, we must offer them the Rafale.”It is not clear what other examples of U.S. military equipment are being eyed up by Europe for potential substitution. Much European equipment also uses parts from U.S. companies, and the U.S. has historically provided some of the most expensive equipment for European militaries, such as logistics, heavy lift, intelligence and satellite reconnaissance.European officials have already indicated they are looking for alternatives to Starlink, the satellite internet constellation operated by tech billionaire Elon Musk’s U.S.-based aerospace arm, SpaceX, that has been dominant in Ukraine.The Patriot air defense system, made by American giant Raytheon, is considered the gold-standard of surface-to-air missile defense. More than 240 Patriot units have been built, according to Raytheon, in operation in at least 19 countries across the world.The systems have been heavily in demand since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. Ukraine’s allies have struggled to provide enough Patriot systems, and the interceptor missiles fired at incoming targets, and wrestled with providing other air defense options.France and Italy have sent a few SAMP-T air defense systems to Ukraine, described by Paris’ armed forces ministry as a “fully European system.”It is often considered the only similar non-U.S. system to match up to the Patriot, but the SAMP-T struggled to intercept ballistic missile attacks once in Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month, citing people familiar with the matter.Ukraine also rapidly ran short of the Aster missiles fired by the SAMP-T, the Journal reported. A spokesperson for Ukraine’s air force said on March 11 that a SAMP-T transferred to Kyiv had shot down a Russian Su-35 fighter jet, but did not offer any further details.The U.S.-made F-35 jet, which is operated by a slew of NATO countries and on order for several more nations, is currently the fifth-generation stealth jet on offer for many American allies.There are “no other real alternatives outside America” with a similar level of stealth, retired Air Marshal Greg Bagwell, former senior commander in the U.K.’s Royal Air Force, told Newsweek earlier this month.While stealth is “less and less important these days,” he said, there are limited options for non-American fifth-generation capabilities.The rest of NATO could use fourth-generation aircraft long in service “and still be more than a match for Russia through a variety of different techniques,” Bagwell commented, should commitment to F-35s waver.Panicked reports circulated in recent weeks, suggesting the F-35s contained an inbuilt “kill switch,” which could be used at Washington’s whim to effectively control the aircraft bought and operated by allied countries. Experts and officials have downplayed these concerns, but concede that the U.S. could have a noticeable impact on how well these aircraft could operate, should it choose to influence software upgrades or change access to intelligence.The fourth-generation Rafale is a twin-engine fighter, made by French aerospace firm Dassault Aviation, and has been in service with Paris’ military for roughly two decades.European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, unveiled a plan earlier this month, saying up to $870 billion could be dedicated to defense in the European Union.What They Are SayingVon der Leyen told the media: “This is a watershed moment for Europe.”Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) told Newsweek: “I would note that President Macron isn’t calling for Europeans to buy European—he’s calling for Europeans to buy French … It’s not the Phoenix of Europe is going to rise from the ashes of trans-Atlanticism.”What’s Next?There are still big questions for Europe’s defense industry to answer, despite public, urgent warnings from politicians across the European Union on the increasingly desperate need to invest in the bloc’s military capabilities.It’s not clear just how European states will choose to move in the coming months and years, and how EU actions will intersect with other nations, including the U.K, no longer an EU member, and other emerging defense players such as South Korea.It’s also hard to draw conclusions on whether the European Union, and the tens of states making up the bloc and its close allies, will be able to reach agreements quickly, and pass significant orders on to defense industry that will also need time to adjust.
