Europe Faces Military Capability Shortfalls
The International Institute for Strategic Studies' 2026 Military Balance report says Europe has wide capability shortfalls and remains ill-prepared as the four-year war in Ukraine grinds on. It reports global military spending rose 2.5% to $2.63 trillion in 2025 while European spending reached $562.9 billion (up 12.6%), warns of NATO shortfalls despite pledges to reach 5.0% of GDP by 2035, and notes rapid evolution in unmanned systems and AI.
Key Points
- 1Identify Europe's capability shortfalls that leave forces ill-prepared for large-scale high-intensity warfare
- 2Highlight rising military spending: global $2.63 trillion in 2025, Europe $562.9 billion, US defense rebound
- 3Advise practitioners to prioritize air/missile defenses, unmanned systems, AI integration, and sustainment planning
Scoring Rationale
Authoritative IISS report gives broad, timely defense trends, but provides limited novel analysis beyond expected post-Ukraine buildup.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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