Propellants and explosives: the next challenges for an EU defence sector short of resources and supplies

Brussels -Europe is already lagging in defense and risks falling further behind, as new challenges are set to arise on top of the existing ones, an analysis compiled by the European Parliament’s Think Tank warns, summing up a situation that is already a puzzle for the EU. Meanwhile, it points out that industrial capacity is not defined solely by production facilities but “depends equally on skilled labour, specialised suppliers and access to critical raw materials,”​ all of which the European Union lacks.​

Due in part to political choices made after the Second World War, everyone in Europe has de facto abandoned heavy industry for a new type of economy, of peace. The result has been a shortage of skilled and specialised labour as well as weak supply chains. Additionally, there is the issue that young people have little interest in a career in defence. 

The turnaround the European Commission has imposed with its defence agenda may be of little use, the experts in the European Parliament warn. As they explain, actual output may lag behind nominal capacity because many firms had expansion plans in place before EU funding, and supply chains remain strained. Speaking of supplies, “shortages in components such as propellants, explosives, and miniature jet engines represent the next bottlenecks, highlighting the need for further targeted public investment.”

For the European Union, in essence, “constraints persist” for the development of the defence sector. In this sense, “it is worrying that the Commissioner for Defence [Andrius] Kubilius notes that the EU is not ready,” and not because there are delays resulting from past choices, but because there is no desire to reverse the course. For the Think Tank, “there is also considerable pushback against Europe’s rearmament plans,” which is hindering efforts to move beyond the situation it wants to leave behind.​