NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks at the opening of the NATO Defense Industry Forum on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on July 7 called for a “transatlantic defense industrial revolution” as alliance members unveiled major investment initiatives aimed at expanding military capabilities and strengthening defense production.
“The hum of machinery must become a roar,” Rutte told a defense forum in Ankara ahead of the main event of NATO leaders in the Turkish capital.
“Industry across all of the nations represented here must be ready to take more risks. The demand is there, and you know it,” he said, urging defense companies to increase investment as allies seek to meet rising security challenges.
Rutte’s remarks came as NATO members announced large-scale defense commitments, including plans to invest more than $40 billion over the next five years in counter-drone capabilities.
“NATO is rapidly expanding our ability to deploy and operate drones at scale. And at the same time, we are building robust counter-drone defenses to detect, identify and neutralize drones,” Rutte said.
The NATO chief also said allies would increase operational training for troops as part of efforts to strengthen readiness.
Rutte highlighted several multinational aviation projects, including the planned addition of a 10th Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft to NATO’s Multinational Multirole Tanker Transport Fleet. The move would bring the fleet closer to its planned total of 12 aircraft.
He also announced a new multinational initiative centered on the Airbus A400M transport aircraft.
Some NATO members will procure around 10 Saab aircraft to replace the aging Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS fleet, Rutte said. The GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft produced by Saab can detect, track and identify complex threats, including ballistic and cruise missiles, he added.
Türkiye’s Defense Industries Presidency chief Haluk Görgün said agreements had been signed among NATO members covering five areas of joint development: strike force capabilities, integrated air and missile defense systems, space and surveillance capabilities, critical raw materials for the defense industry and NATO’s unmanned aerial vehicle superiority.
Turkish defense companies including Aselsan, Roketsan, STM and TÜBİTAK would take part as contractors in the projects, he wrote on X.
