Catching Up: Europe’s Path to Strategic Autonomy in the Defence Industry - HCSS
AI Analysis
A new report from HCSS and Clingendael highlights the EU's struggle to achieve strategic autonomy in defense despite increased spending and political attention. The core issue is fragmented national defense planning, production, and procurement leading to reliance on external suppliers for critical technologies. The report advocates for pragmatic steps towards managing interdependence rather than pursuing complete self-sufficiency.
Key Takeaways
- The EU aims to defend itself and sustain operations without excessive reliance on external actors, particularly the US.
- Persistent coordination challenges exist within the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB).
- Dependencies exist on external suppliers for high-end platforms, digital enablers, and critical inputs.
- Recommendations include prioritizing autonomy where control is critical, accepting managed dependence elsewhere, and strengthening the link between capability development and EU investment.
- The report stresses the importance of 'active management of interdependence' through diverse partnerships and safeguards.
Why It Matters
The EU's ability to achieve strategic autonomy directly impacts its security posture and its role on the global stage. Failure to address these industrial dependencies could limit operational effectiveness and constrain its foreign policy options, particularly regarding counter-UAS and advanced defense systems. This report provides a framework for focused investment and collaboration to mitigate these risks.
Catching Up: Europe’s Path to Strategic Autonomy in the Defence Industry - HCSS
Research
Catching Up: Europe’s Path to Strategic Autonomy in the Defence Industry
April 22, 2026
Over the past decade, strategic autonomy in defence has become a defining objective in European policymaking. At its core lies a clear but demanding proposition: Europe must be able to defend itself and sustain military operations without excessive reliance on external actors, most notably the United States. As Europe’s security environment has deteriorated and transatlantic relations have become more uncertain, this challenge has become particularly acute in the defence-industrial domain. In practical terms, strategic autonomy depends on Europe’s ability to design, produce, sustain and upgrade critical military systems under European control.
Despite unprecedented political attention and increased spending, the European Union continues to struggle to translate ambition into a coherent defence-industrial posture. Defence planning, production and procurement remain predominantly national, resulting in persistent coordination challenges across the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). Dependencies on external suppliers, especially for high-end platforms, digital enablers, and critical inputs, remain a recurring concern.
This new joint Clingendael and HCSS report puts forward the following overarching recommendations for EU member states:
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Match industrial ambition with predictable demand and long-term funding
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Strengthen the link between capability development and EU investments
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Prioritise strategic autonomy where control is most critical
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Accept managed dependence in other areas
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Reduce fragmentation through clusters and pragmatic prioritisation
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Position smaller member states strategically within platform-driven dynamics
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Partner more, but on purpose
HCSS author Davis Ellison notes:
“Supply chains are complex both within and outside the European Union, with most military capabilities being reliant on a variety of subsidiaries spanning across the continent.”
“While the EU possesses key defence capabilities, their fragmented nature and uneven implementation prevent the EU from independently meeting the needs of a modern military,” adds HCSS Strategic Analyst Ron Stoop.
Moving forward does not necessarily require a grand overhaul, but rather pragmatic steps to balance readiness, industrial development, consolidation, competition and partnerships. This begins with taking stock of long-term dependency risks in national procurement choices – aligning not just with urgency and convenience, but with the broader autonomy objectives of the continent. Crucially, autonomy should not be framed as a pursuit of isolationist self-sufficiency, but as the active management of interdependence. This means securing the freedom to act through diverse, resilient partnerships and reciprocal safeguards. Ultimately, the ‘strategic