Europe must not cut US arms ties, warns defence boss

{"text":[[{"start":9.8,"text":"Europe’s defence industry must avoid rupturing industrial ties with the US as it cannot supply all of the weapons needed to meet rising demand on its own, the head of one of the region’s largest arms producers has warned."}],[{"start":21.32,"text":"“I see the ramp-up not as just a European effort, it’s an Allied effort between all Nato countries including the US,” said Morten Brandtzæg, chief executive of ammunition producer Nammo, which is part-owned by the Norwegian and Finnish governments."}],[{"start":35.36,"text":"“We should remember that Europe cannot supply itself solely,” he added."}],[{"start":39.96,"text":"Brandtzæg cited Nammo’s role in the manufacture of US missiles for F-35 fighter jets as an example of the industry’s integrated supply base."}],[{"start":48.44,"text":"The Norwegian company supplies rocket-motor engines that power AMRAAM missiles used by the jets. The rocket motors are produced at Nammo’s main production hub in Raufoss in Norway before being sent to the US to be assembled into the missiles that are built by US defence group Raytheon. These are then delivered to European allies to be used with their F-35 jets."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":68.64,"text":"“In many areas of the defence industry the supply base between Europe and the US is integrated . . . I’m not sure that the industry has the time now to really reshuffle these production lines and say, OK, we are going to produce everything in Europe,” Brandtzæg told the FT."}],[{"start":83.68,"text":"Nammo is one of Europe’s biggest ammunition producers, making everything from the biggest artillery shells to those used in tanks, fighter jets and guns."}],[{"start":92.72,"text":"Brandtzæg’s assessment comes as European governments have stepped up plans to boost their defence-industrial base and reduce their dependence on critical US weapons and technologies amid strained relations with Donald Trump’s administration."}],[{"start":104.8,"text":"Delivery delays of some US weapons, including missile systems, to European allies have added to the tensions and forced some countries to look for domestic alternatives. Washington warned allies in the spring to expect long delivery delays as the US prioritised replenishing its own stockpiles, which have been severely depleted by the war in the Middle East."}],[{"start":124.28,"text":"But speaking at a test event at Nammo’s base in Raufoss including mortars and drones, Brandtzæg warned that “short-term politics must not destroy the long-term ambition of standing shoulder to shoulder”."}],[{"start":136.4,"text":"The company, he added, was increasing production in the US, thereby leaving “more room for production” at its European facilities."}],[{"start":144.04,"text":"“So this is a carefully orchestrated symphony between all Allied countries,” he said."}],[{"start":149.66,"text":"Severe delays of the US-made Patriot air defence system have stretched waiting times for government customers into the next decade. Denmark last year became the first country to sign a contract to buy the Franco-Italian air defence system SAMP-T NG, with first deliveries expected in 2028."}],[{"start":168.32,"text":"Patrice Caine, chief executive of France’s Thales, which builds the SAMP-T NG together with MBDA and Italy’s Leonardo, separately told the FT that a “dozen countries across Europe and even the Middle East” had expressed interest in the system. He cited two reasons for the interest: better performance as well as the availability of the Patriot system."}],[{"start":190.4,"text":"He added that Thales was also in talks with the UK government about offering its laser-guided rocket, built in Belgium, to address current shortages of the US-built Hydra-70 rocket. The UK uses Hydra-70 rockets in weapons including its new low-cost “advanced precision kill weapon system”."}],[{"start":208.925,"text":"The UK MoD said it did not comment on “munitions stocks”."}],[{"start":216.2,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1789977598_4220.mp3"}