Is HYDEF, the EU’s Hypersonic Interception Programme, Still Making Progress?
Russia perpetrated yet another heavy attack targeting Kyiv on May 24th, firing some 600 drones and 90 missiles including hypersonic Kinzhal and Zircon missiles. As EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said, “Russia hit a dead end on the battlefield, so it terrorizes Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centres.” A tactic made easier by Ukraine’s lack of air defence systems that can reliably intercept hypersonic missiles – Europe has the same problem. Could the EU’s Hypersonic Defence Interceptor Programme (HYDEF) help to solve this challenge?
Rearming Europe: Following the Netherlands’ Example?
The Dutch are looking to serve as the forefront in Europe’s new era of military independence.
European Defence: Is Germany a “False Friend”?
As the EU’s largest industrial power, Germany’s defence-industrial decisions are becoming a central fault line between Europe’s ambitions of military autonomy and continued reliance on the US.
Europe, Embrace France’s Defence Vision: L’autonomie stratégique
Despite the political crisis in France, the country remains our model for strategic autonomy. It is time for Europe to further develop this concept.
The European Transformation: A Test of Political Will and Economic Imagination
As debt soars, alliances fracture, and climate pressures mount, the world faces a fundamental reckoning over how prosperity is built and who gets left behind.
How the Netherlands Became One of the Top Weapon Suppliers to Pakistan
How a European nation surprisingly became Pakistan’s #2 arms supplier.
Privatizing Security: How Private Companies are Setting the Security Agenda
Now that NATO countries are ramping up their defense budgets, private defense industry revenues are booming. But this comes with risks.
Strength in Unity: Why Sectoral Integration Offers a Path to a More Secure Europe
Ukraine needs European military aid to withstand Russia’s invasion, but Europe needs Ukraine to ensure security and stability in Europe. That is where sectoral integration into EU programmes for defence cooperation comes in.
The End of NATO? How a European Defense Union Could Redefine NATO
With the geopolitical landscape of Europe rapidly changing, the European Union is boldly moving to reshape its defense strategy.
Serbia’s Lucrative Global Arms Trade: A Glimpse Into its Secrecy, Scheme, and Double-Edged Sword
By leveraging its relatively robust military industry, Serbia has managed to covertly capitalise on its arms exports for lucrative and geopolitical motives. With international pressure growing against Serbia, partly as a consequence of its own gaffes, the question arises as to whether such lucrative endeavors will persist to be politically worthwhile.
Sticks and Stones: The Dire State of Italian (and European) Armaments Production
The war in Ukraine pushes Europeans to embrace their guns. But what about those who gave up theirs?
Prospects of an EU Army: Hopes and Challenges
Most of us who believe in European federalism, have argued, even before the Ukraine War, for a European army, independent of national governments and thus petty national politics. The rhetoric of “Strategic Autonomy” in the face of the conflict has brought sharper focus on the defensive capabilities of the EU and the continent as a whole.
