NATO Unveils $50 Billion Defense Deals at Ankara Summit
ANKARA-NATO allies and defense companies unveiled more than $50 billion worth of defense procurement and industrial agreements during the alliance’s annual summit in Ankara on Thursday, underscoring efforts by member states to strengthen military capabilities amid continued pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for European allies to increase defense spending.
The announcements, made alongside an industry forum held during the summit, covered air defense, surveillance, missile production, military transport, secure communications and space launch infrastructure. While several agreements involve firm procurement plans and signed contracts, others remain subject to further negotiations, government approvals or future development.
Swedish defense company Saab said NATO would begin formal negotiations to acquire up to 10 GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft. Chief Executive Micael Johansson told reporters deliveries could begin as early as 2030, with each aircraft expected to cost between $400 million and $450 million.
U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin and Germany’s Rheinmetall signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly produce ATACMS short-range ballistic missiles in Germany. If finalized, the project would mark the first production of the missile outside the United States.
Separately, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Michael Duffey said Washington would establish a maintenance facility in Europe for Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 air defense missile. He said the United States was also not ruling out manufacturing the missile outside the country, although no location has yet been selected.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense announced it would spend $254 million on Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), with initial deliveries expected in 2027. The ministry also said Britain could join existing program partners, Australia and the United States, in the missile’s future development.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said alliance members would also purchase up to five Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance drones. Norway, Finland, Germany and Denmark signed a letter of intent supporting the planned acquisition.
Rutte also announced that NATO would establish a strategic airlift fleet based on Airbus A400M military transport aircraft while expanding its multinational Airbus A330 MRTT aerial refueling fleet by one additional aircraft, further enhancing the alliance’s transport and logistics capabilities.
Beyond military hardware, the summit featured agreements aimed at strengthening industrial cooperation and supporting NATO’s broader defense infrastructure.
German rocket manufacturer Isar Aerospace signed a contract with Canada’s Maritime Launch Services to construct and operate a dedicated launch pad for its Spectrum rocket at Spaceport Nova Scotia in eastern Canada. The agreement expands cooperation between the European aerospace sector and Canada’s commercial launch facilities.
Technology consulting company Accenture and Italian defense group Leonardo agreed to a seven-year contract valued at about 200 million euros to design and operate a secure NATO communications network, reflecting the alliance’s emphasis on strengthening digital resilience alongside conventional defense capabilities.
In Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany had reached an agreement with the United States to acquire Raytheon-made Tomahawk cruise missiles and deploy them on German territory. Merz said the decision removed uncertainty surrounding the program after Trump stated in May that he intended to reduce the U.S. military presence in Germany.
The defense announcements come as European NATO members seek to demonstrate greater investment in collective security while responding to evolving military requirements across the alliance. The package spans multiple sectors, including missile systems, surveillance aircraft, drones, airlift capability, communications networks and aerospace infrastructure, highlighting NATO’s effort to deepen industrial cooperation among member states.
