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LONDON — European defence manufacturers are expanding production facilities at triple the peacetime rate, according to a Financial Times analysis of radar satellite data, signalling a continent on a renewed war footing.
The report reveals that weapons factory floor space across Europe has surged dramatically, growing from approximately 790,000 square metres in 2020-21 to a staggering 2.8 million square metres in 2024-25 – covering over 7 million square metres in total.
This massive build-up, observed across 150 facilities operated by 37 major defence companies, includes significant projects like the vast new ammunition and explosives plant built by Germany’s Rheinmetall and Hungary’s state-owned N7 Holding in Varpalota, western Hungary.
“These are deep and structural changes that will transform the defense industry in the medium to long term,” stated William Alberque, a former senior NATO official, highlighting the scale and permanence of the shift.
The rapid expansion is driven by two key factors: the urgent need to sustain military aid shipments to Ukraine and growing anticipation of a potential reduction in the United States’ traditional role as the guarantor of European security.
This concern was amplified by recent comments from US President Donald Trump. On July 14th, Trump declared he would continue sending weapons to Kyiv only “as long as the European Union pays for the shipments in coordination with NATO,” adding that planned deliveries included 17 Patriot missile systems.
This stance underscores European fears about future US commitment and fuels the push for greater self-reliance in defence production.
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