NATO shared details of joint projects announced at the Defense Industry Forum accompanying the 36th Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara. According to the alliance statement, numerous allied countries will cooperate in various fields.
10th Airbus A330 MRTT Aircraft
Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden will jointly carry out the initiative to procure NATO's 10th Airbus A330 MRTT multi-role tanker transport aircraft. The project is based on a pooling and cost-sharing model, thereby increasing collective capacity at a more affordable cost.
GlobalEye Early Warning Aircraft Fleet
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, and Sweden will work together to acquire 10 GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft produced by Swedish company Saab.
MQ-4C Triton UAV Procurement
NATO will strengthen its Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability with Northrop Grumman-built MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicles. Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Norway are participating in the project. The new UAVs will join the NATO fleet stationed at Sigonella Air Base in Italy. While Northrop Grumman will handle production, Airbus and other European companies will provide the ground control segment, data management, command and control systems, infrastructure, and mission support solutions.
HALO Satellite Communication Project
The HALO project, which aims to connect allies' nationally controlled military satellites and integrate them into a large satellite constellation, was launched with the participation of eight countries.
GENIFR Artillery Ammunition Standard
Türkiye, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway, Slovakia, and Sweden will work together to determine the technical parameters of the 155-millimeter ammunition designated as NATO General Purpose Indirect Fire Ammunition (GENIFR). The aim is to accelerate production and resolve compatibility and supply issues.
Critical Raw Material Cooperation in the Defense Industry
To increase the resilience of supply chains, Türkiye, along with Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden, will act jointly on the procurement, storage, transportation, and management of raw materials critical to defense.
