NATO defence spending: NATO countries rolled out a fresh set of weapons deals in Turkey on Tuesday. The goal is to show that the alliance is moving faster on defence and that it is listening to U.S. pressure to spend more. In Ankara, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte pushed the message hard.
He said the alliance needs a “transatlantic defence industrial revolution” and that the defence business must be ready to turn money into real contracts and take bigger risks. Reuters reported that the announcements came as NATO leaders began unveiling arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars ahead of a summit with President Donald Trump.
DRDO Signs MoU with Kanpur Textile Institute for Defence and Civil Applications
Rutte also used a louder and more urgent tone to push allies to act quickly. The original quote from the event “So now let’s deliver even more, even faster, and together,”.
He also said, “We can do more when we do it together. And we must do more of it,” and added, “NATO allies are joining new multinational procurement coalitions. This really helps us get more of what you need across a range of capabilities.” Reuters and NATO’s own reporting both say he has been urging faster defence production and more teamwork across the alliance.
Big budget and Weapons
Rutte said NATO allies will put more than $40 billion into anti-drone capabilities over the next five years. He also said member states spent $37 billion in one year, and by next year the alliance will have the power to make four million artillery shells. The wider point was clear. NATO wants more shells, more drones, more planes, and less waiting around. Reuters said the alliance will also launch a strategic airlift fleet of Airbus A400M transport planes and add one more A330 MRTT tanker to its current fleet.
Some of the deals were kept quiet before the big reveal. European countries are buying surveillance drones from U.S. company Northrop Grumman. NATO is also buying planes from Sweden’s Saab. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Saab will supply up to 10 new GlobalEye surveillance aircraft for a 10-nation group.
He called it “It’s a moment of great pride,” and said the aircraft would be “made within the alliance for all the alliance.” Reuters also reported a draft deal between Lockheed Martin and Germany’s Rheinmetall to make ATACMS missiles in Germany.
Trump Pressure
The timing of all this is not random. Trump has long complained that Europe leans too much on the U.S. for defence. Reuters said tensions inside NATO have grown after the U.S. attacked Iran, and Trump again criticized allies for not doing enough.
European NATO members and Canada spent $90 billion more on defence in real terms in 2025 than in 2024, reaching more than $570 billion, which is about a 20% rise. NATO members are also expected to reaffirm support for Ukraine and pledge €70 billion in help for 2026.
Former BEL CMD Bhanu Prakash Srivastava Joins Raymond as CEO of Defence Division
Wider NATO Tension
The U.S. At teh same time has cut some of the forces it gives to NATO plans and started a six-month review of its military presence in Europe. Reuters said those cuts include items such as refuelling aircraft, fighter jets, drones, and ships. That has made many allies nervous and pushed them to speed up their own defence plans.
