EU Members Back Five Joint Defence Projects Spanning Space, Sea and Air
EU members approved five pan-European defence projects covering drone warfare, maritime and seabed defence, air and missile defence, and space-based defence.
EU member states on Monday approved five pan-European defence projects covering space, sea, air and drone warfare, clearing them to receive EU funding.
The projects fall under the European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs), a framework that lets European countries collaborate on major defence initiatives considered too large or too complex for any single member state to develop alone, the Council of the European Union said in a statement.
The five approved projects focus on drone and anti-drone warfare and on protecting Europe's Eastern flank. They also include an integrated maritime and seabed defence project, an air and missile defence and early-warning project, and a space-based defence project. The European Commission originally proposed the projects in July.
"Working closely with our partners Norway and Ukraine, together we are taking decisive steps to protect space, our skies, our seas, undersea cables and our citizens who depend on them," said Helen McEntee, defence minister of Ireland, which holds the Council's rotating presidency.
Under the bloc's European Defence Industry Programme, €325 million ($370 million) has been designated for the EDPCIs, with the possibility of additional funding in the future.