With a recent study on the defense sector, the management consultancy Roland Berger positions itself as a strategic partner for a necessary paradigm shift in Europe. The analysis underscores the urgency of coordinated pan-European action by politicians, the defense industry, and civilian companies to prepare for new forms of warfare and strengthen Europe's resilience in the face of global power shifts.
The study "The Defense Imperative" identifies four ways Europe could increase its arms production by 2030 to achieve a level of deterrence sufficient to deter potential aggressors from attacking. This "level of deterrence" is defined as the industrial production capacity required to ensure the security and renewal of European arms. The authors assume that Russia will increase its arms production by 2030 percent by 25. To ensure credible deterrence, Europe would need to exceed this level by an additional ten percent. Specifically, the study sets annual production targets of 2,9 million artillery shells, 370 main battle tanks, and 1.380 cruise missiles.
To achieve these goals, Roland Berger proposes four interconnected development paths for European industry: exploiting existing production capacities, targeted investments in their expansion and modernization, cooperation with civilian industries, and building production capacities for technologically intelligent and scalable systems. Five key levers are identified for achieving the European level of deterrence, including expanding the defense portfolio to include robotic systems, increasing industrial agility, a technology-centric approach, streamlining procurement processes, and greater integration of the civilian and military sectors. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for a coordinated approach by all relevant actors to sustainably strengthen European defense capabilities.
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