The Council of the EU has approved the first five European defence projects of common interest, aimed at strengthening the defence capabilities and industrial capacity of EU member states
According to the European bureau of Report, citing the EU Council, the projects cover the development of drones and counter-drone systems, the protection of the seas and underwater infrastructure, space capabilities, air and missile defence, as well as strengthening security on the EU’s eastern flank.
In July, the European Commission estimated the combined investment potential of the five projects at approximately €190 billion by 2036. The largest of these are Eastern Flank Watch, with an estimated cost of €60–100 billion, and EU-FIAMD, at €55–80 billion.
EU-FIAMD aims to create an integrated air defence and missile defence system with early warning of threats, whilst Eastern Flank Watch (EFW) aims to strengthen the security of the eastern borders in land, air, sea, cyber and other domains.
The Council has also approved the European Resolve (DECODER) project for the development and scaling up of drones and counter-drone technologies, Integrated Maritime and Seabed Defence (IMSD) to create an integrated defence system at sea and on the seabed, as well as the SPACE project, which provides for the development of satellites for early warning of missile launches, satellite communications, intelligence, surveillance and precision positioning systems.
