NATO Defence Ministers wrapped up two days of discussions in Brussels on Thursday (27 June 2019).
With this agreement, Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Finland plan to systematically cooperate in acquiring maritime munitions with a view to achieve economies of scale and associated lower unit prices. The Participants will also discuss other cooperation aspects in support of these munitions, including the potential for common warehousing solutions. The agreement covers a broad range of munition types, including surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, torpedoes, and gun shells.
At the signing ceremony, NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller said that this was “a significant first step towards establishing European stockpiles of high quality maritime munitions. In time, this initiative will enhance our forces’ interoperability, our ability to share munitions, and our capacity work together in an effective and efficient way.”
This MBDM initiative is modeled after similar efforts NATO Allies and partners had successfully initiated in the air and land domains. The first joint acquisitions are expected in the near future.
