Airbus CEO Urges Increased European Investment in Defense Production

Europe must enhance collaboration on defense projects and significantly increase investment in production capacity, according to Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus. Speaking to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Faury highlighted the stark difference in defense spending between the European Union and the United States, noting that the EU purchases five times fewer armaments than the US, with up to 75% of these not produced in Europe but mostly in America.

“There is too little investment in production capacities here and in the end quickly available armaments are procured in the United States,” Faury stated. He urged European politicians to consider long-term needs rather than focusing solely on immediate requirements.

Faury also emphasized the need for closer defense cooperation with Britain, which is working on the GCAP jet fighter project alongside Italy and Japan. Meanwhile, France, Germany, and Spain are developing the FCAS jet project, with Airbus playing a key role in partnership with France’s Dassault Aviation. The two companies reached an agreement in 2022 to develop a demonstrator for FCAS.

“It is conceivable, for example, to consider standardizing the IT systems for FCAS and GCAP at some point,” Faury suggested, noting that this would ensure interoperability at a NATO level. Additionally, he advocated for a security and defense agreement between the EU and the UK to bolster collaborative efforts.

The Airbus CEO’s remarks underscore the pressing need for Europe to boost its defense production capabilities and foster greater cooperation to meet future security challenges effectively.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, reuters.com