NATO countries must fundamentally rethink weapons production and undertake a major restructuring of their defense industries, Admiral Pierre Vandier, the alliance’s commander for transformation, said in an interview with Fox News.

Without such changes, he argued, NATO members will be unable to respond effectively to large-scale attacks of the kind seen in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Vandier said the current balance between costs and defensive capabilities works against Western countries. Russian strikes, in his assessment, have exposed the limitations of existing air defense systems, which were originally designed to confront far fewer simultaneous threats.

The fighting in the Middle East has also demonstrated the heavy demand for sophisticated and expensive interceptor missiles. Using them against large numbers of incoming targets consumes substantial resources and places additional pressure on the defense industry.

Vandier said producing 50,000 Patriot missiles a year was unrealistic because the necessary supply chain does not exist. He added that the high cost of such weapons would make production on that scale impractical.

The admiral argued that NATO must instead build a layered defense system. Relatively inexpensive weapons that can be manufactured rapidly and in large quantities should be used against drones. More advanced systems should remain focused on intercepting complex threats such as ballistic missiles.

In his view, large waves of low-cost weapons require equally affordable, expendable and mass-produced countermeasures. Sophisticated interceptors should be reserved for the most technically demanding targets.

Vandier also highlighted Russia’s ability to absorb battlefield experience quickly. He acknowledged that Russian forces regularly revise their tactics and adapt to changing conditions almost every week.