NATO Urged to Shift Toward Mass Weapon Production
NATO must focus on drones, autonomous systems and mass weapon production as Europe seeks to reduce military dependence on the United States.
NATO should rethink how it produces weapons and stop relying solely on the most advanced military systems, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, the US chairman of the alliance’s Military Committee, said in an interview with Euractiv.
According to Dragone, the conflict in Ukraine has shown that modern warfare is not defined only by cutting-edge performance. Speed, cost and the ability to manufacture weapons in large quantities have become just as important. For that reason, he believes Western armies should in some cases choose less complex platforms that can be produced quickly and scaled up without long delays.
Against this backdrop, Dragone urged NATO countries to invest more actively in drones, autonomous systems and low-cost precision weapons. In his view, such tools can deliver a comparable military effect at a much lower price.
The admiral also pointed to the areas Europe will need to strengthen as the US military contribution to NATO declines. These include aerial refueling, electronic warfare, intelligence and surveillance, long-range precision strikes, and integrated air and missile defense.
At the same time, Dragone stressed that European allies should not try to fully replicate US military power. Instead, he said, NATO must modernize traditional weapons while building up its own capabilities in sectors where dependence on Washington remains especially visible.