NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called for a "transatlantic defence industrial revolution" during a two-day summit [1, 2] in Ankara, Turkey.
The initiative aims to reduce the alliance's reliance on the U.S. while increasing the military spending of European and Canadian members to counter security threats from Russia and other hostile states [3, 4].
Rutte said that the alliance would announce defence contracts valued at tens of billions of dollars [5] during the proceedings. The summit brought together 32 NATO members [1] to coordinate industrial capacity and procurement strategies.
"To meet the challenge, we need a transatlantic defence industrial revolution," Rutte said [6]. He said there is a need for a rapid increase in production, stating, "The hum of machinery must become a roar" [6].
This industrial push coincides with a shift in fiscal commitments across the alliance. Member states are moving toward defence spending levels of around 4% of GDP [1] to ensure sustainable security buffers.
The summit in Ankara focused on transforming how the alliance produces and acquires military hardware. By scaling up industrial output, NATO intends to create a more resilient supply chain that can withstand prolonged geopolitical conflicts [3, 4].
“"To meet the challenge, we need a transatlantic defence industrial revolution."”
This shift signals a strategic pivot toward European strategic autonomy. By targeting a 4% GDP spending mark and investing tens of billions in new contracts, NATO is attempting to transition from a U.S.-led security umbrella to a more distributed industrial base capable of sustaining long-term deterrence against Russia.
