NATIONAL FORCES
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Le Pen’s NATO Command Pledge Reopens France’s Strategic Autonomy Divide
Marine Le Pen’s call for France to leave NATO’s integrated military command has turned a long-running French debate over sovereignty into a live question for European defence planning, at a time when allies are already assessing the reliability of US…
Italy’s SAFE Fund Dispute Exposes the Budget Politics Behind Europe’s Rearmament Plans
Rome says it needs EU defence loans to rebuild military capacity, but the dispute over energy costs shows how Europe’s rearmament plans remain tied to national budget pressures. Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto has said Rome has an “essential” need…
Belgian Military Recruitment Surge Reflects Renewed National Confidence
Military recruitment across much of Western Europe is in decline as younger generations appeared increasingly detached from the idea of service, defence budgets languished and armed forces struggled to compete with the private sector for talent. Yet Belgium is now…
Italy Faces Decision on EU Defence Loans as SAFE Deadline Approaches
Italy is under pressure to decide whether to draw on the EU’s Security Action for Europe loan instrument, with Rome eligible for around €14.9bn as Brussels seeks to accelerate joint defence procurement and industrial readiness. Italy is approaching a decision…
EU Defence Ministers Move to Strengthen European Defence Agency as Procurement Pressure Grows
EU defence ministers have agreed to reinforce the European Defence Agency, including through new structures for innovation, experimentation and collaborative procurement, as member states face pressure to turn higher defence spending into usable military capability. EU defence ministers have agreed…
Britain’s £1bn Artillery Scramble Exposes Decades of Decline
For years British politicians comforted themselves with the illusion that major land warfare belonged to the past. Terrorism, cyber threats and fashionable theories about “light footprint” operations became the buzzwords of Whitehall. Heavy armour was dismissed as outdated. Artillery was…
Tristan da Cunha: How Britain’s Paratroopers Pulled Off a Modern Miracle
Every so often an operation comes along that reminds the country precisely why the British soldier still commands admiration across the world. The extraordinary parachute mission to Tristan da Cunha — the world’s most remote inhabited island — was one…
The Decline of British Military Power Is Europe’s Greatest Security Risk
For decades Britain has comforted itself with a dangerous fiction: that it remains one of the world’s foremost military powers. The uniforms are still impressive, the ceremonial pageantry remains unmatched, and politicians continue to speak the language of “global Britain”…
Greece Advances Italian FREMM Frigate Deal as Naval Modernisation Accelerates
Athens is moving ahead with plans to acquire four second-hand Italian FREMM frigates, while also preparing to approve long-delayed upgrades to its MEKO-class vessels. The combined measures form part of Greece’s wider effort to strengthen naval readiness in the eastern…
France’s Bid to Anchor a New European Security Order Faces Test of Scale, Industry and Politics
As confidence in Washington’s long-term role in NATO weakens, Paris is seeking to place France at the centre of Europe’s defence adaptation. But nuclear status and strategic ambition do not by themselves provide the troops, industry, logistics and political continuity…