Europe's quest for a united defence: Trials and triumphs

The concept of European transnational programs for procuring and designing new armaments isn’t new. For decades, European countries have attempted to collaborate and co-design new weapon models with varying degrees of success.

Significant obstacles exist, such as the differing expectations of individual countries and various, sometimes difficult-to-reconcile, design assumptions.

As a result, transnational armament programs in Europe often involve compromise, influencing the technical specifications of equipment developed to satisfy the diverse expectations of different countries.

An example of successful weaponry, despite differences, is the SEPECAT Jaguar strike aircraft. Developed in the 1960s, the design addressed the needs of the United Kingdom and French air forces.

This lightweight and relatively simple aircraft proved successful. The partners intended to acquire 200 units each, and foreign clients such as Oman and India also showed interest in the Jaguar. Ultimately, about 600 units were produced, and France and the United Kingdom used them during operations like Desert Storm.

Though the Jaguar is over fifty years old, it remains in service. The Indian military is its last user.

The Panavia Tornado, built by the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy (with the Netherlands briefly participating), also resulted from international cooperation. This twin-engine, two-seat aircraft has variable-sweep wings and can serve as a heavy fighter, strike aircraft, and electronic warfare machine. It can fly at minimal altitude using terrain.

The aircraft's radar scanned the ground ahead, creating a real-time map of obstacles. Advanced avionics ensured automatic obstacle avoidance. The Tornado could, therefore, attack while flying at supersonic speed just 30 metres above the ground.

Although the Tornado first flew in 1974, the latest units are still in service with the air forces of Italy and Germany, and outside Europe, with Saudi Arabia.

The Eurofighter Typhoon is the most considerable transnational success of the European defence industry to date. It is a multi-role, twin-engine aircraft with a canard aerodynamic design (triangular wings and front canards), classified as generation 4+.

This design was achieved through the cooperation of four countries: Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy. The Eurofighter, which first flew in 1994, is still being developed. Successive production variants (versions Tranche 1, 2, 3, 4, 4+, and 5) have increased its capabilities.

As it evolves, the Eurofighter is transitioning from primarily a fighter aircraft to a universal, multi-role aircraft capable of ground attack and electronic warfare.

European anti-tank missiles exemplify longstanding and fruitful cooperation. The lightweight MILAN missile, developed in the 1970s by France and Germany, became a European standard for many decades, with licensed production undertaken by countries such as the United Kingdom and Spain. It was designed for infantry soldiers and equipped with infantry fighting vehicles like the German Marder.

The HOT anti-tank guided missile, jointly developed by France and Germany, has a more excellent range and is Europe's equivalent to the American TOW missile in terms of solutions and capabilities.

The wire-guided HOT has a range of up to 4 kilometres and was equipped with military vehicles and helicopters. It became a success for European exports and was used by around a dozen armies worldwide. Developed at the end of the 1970s, HOT eventually found a successor in the Trigat missile.

Another product of international collaboration is the air-launched cruise missile Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG, which France and the United Kingdom jointly developed. In 2024, France, Germany, Poland, and Italy signed a letter of intent to jointly develop a ground-launched cruise missile.

Another example of collaboration is the European Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter, which was jointly built by France, Spain, and Germany. Work on this narrow-fuselage machine began during the Cold War. The helicopter features innovative solutions, such as the extensive use of composite materials and the incorporation of stealth (low observability) features.

Production was split among the involved countries: Germany manufactured the front fuselage, France the middle, and Spain the rear. Each country then independently assembled its helicopters from the delivered components.

Despite its modernity, the Tiger helicopters proved troublesome to maintain due to high failure rates, partly related to supply and spare parts issues. Germany has decided to retire the Tiger helicopters earlier than planned and replace them with lighter H145 machines.

Alongside successful European armament programs, initiatives have failed to achieve their goals. A prime example is the attempts to develop a European tank, which have been undertaken through various initiatives since the 1950s.

The initial joint tank cooperation attempt between France and Germany resulted not in a single tank but in two competing models: the Leopard 1 and the AMX-30.

The British-German program MBT-80 (and, before it, the American-German MBT-70) also ended unsuccessfully. Work began in the 1970s to create a joint next-generation tank, but both countries ultimately opted for independently developed machines: the Leopard 2 and the Challenger.

The idea of building a European tank hasn’t been completely abandoned—France and Germany are currently collaborating on it through the MGCS program. After nearly a decade of work, there’s only a general concept and a division of work. If built, the tank won't be ready until at least the 2040s.