THE EUROPEAN – SECURITY AND DEFENCE UNION
Defence capability development in times of ongoing crisis The Covid-19 challenge can only be mastered together
by Jiří Šedivý, Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, Brussels
T
he Covid-19 crisis confirmed the need for military support to civilian authorities (MCSA), including in terms of military capabilities. This applies notably to capabilities to counter Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats but also medical capabilities devoted to the defence sector. In more general terms, Covid-19 also confirmed the need for highly resilient and responsive European armed forces, able to prevent, detect and respond to multiple threats and scenarios at the same time. However disruptive the economic and financial impact of Covid-19 might be, it will not eclipse the need for Member States to strengthen Europe’s full spectrum of defence capabilities, and to do it through cooperation. On the contrary, this crisis makes collaborative capability development even more indispensable and urgent. Europe’s responsiveness and preparedness will depend on its ability to make a quantum leap in terms of cooperation.
A new post Covid-19 reality This pandemic is far from over and the full scale of its repercussions still unpredictable. Yet, there are lessons to be learned already now, as Europe must adjust to a new post-Covid reality. Defence is no exception. The budgetary shockwave caused by the pandemic may weigh heavily on some Member States’ ability to sustain existing national defence programmes, let alone launch new ones. Which in turn threatens to further curtail Europe’s security and defence clout. There could also be a plus side to the crisis, though: some of its effects might help speed up the process towards genuine EU
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defence cooperation. Looked at from this angle, this emergency offers a unique and unexpected opportunity to make collaborative capability development the new norm in Europe. Rather than weakening national defence forces one by one, the new reality imposed by Covid-19 could advance European defence as a whole.
The budgetary perspective The follow-up costs of the pandemic are likely to squeeze national public spending across the board for years to come, including in the area of defence. What’s more, the fiscal downturn hits at a time when Europe needs to invest more and better in its security and defence. The many good reasons that led the EU and its Member States to raise the Union’s level of ambition on defence in 2016 and to work towards European strategic autonomy as a long-term goal are still valid. To drop or even lower this ambition is not an option, even under today’s exceptional circumstances, as this would seriously undermine Europe’s security role in the world. How to square this circle? Defence cooperation is the answer. Europe needs more joint defence planning and capability development. This call to revitalise existing concepts such as pooling and sharing of resources and capabilities is not new. When defence budgets come under pressure, the smartest way for Member States to safeguard or even increase their military resilience is to plan, develop, procure, maintain and operate their defence equipment together. However, the related options for cooperation, including the tools to conduct this effort in a structured manner have to be foreseen and ready to be used. Multinational capability development is more cost-efficient and impactful than national solo efforts done in isolation. Money
