EUROPEAN DEFENCE GAP: Capabilities, Shortfalls and the Road to Strategic Autonomy
A Comprehensive Assessment of European Military Capabilities, Industrial Deficiencies,
13 pages · PDF · 24 February 2026 · Licensed single-user copy, watermarked to the buyer
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About this report
After three decades of post–Cold War contraction, European states are attempting to rebuild credible military capacity under compressed timelines, rising threat perceptions, and an evolving transatlantic division of labour.
While the political and regulatory architecture for defence mobilisation has been largely established through successive EU and NATO initiatives, a measurable gap persists between financial commitments and operational readiness.
Key questions this report answers
- Why is integrated air and missile defence identified as Europe's most urgent capability gap, and what would closing it require industrially?
- How does the munitions industrial-capacity shortfall create a dependency trap, and how does it constrain European rearmament under compressed timelines?
- What is the structural nuclear-deterrence void that the analysis argues no one wants to name, and why does it matter for European autonomy?
- On a realistic balance sheet, what can and cannot Europe do given the persistent gap between financial commitments and operational readiness?
Inside this report
- 2. INTEGRATED AIR AND MISSILE DEFENCE: THE MOST URGENT GAP
- 3. MUNITIONS, INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY AND THE DEPENDENCY TRAP
- 4. DRONES, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ELECTRONIC WARFARE: THE NEW BATTLEFIELD
- 5. LOGISTICS AND MILITARY MOBILITY: THE INVISIBLE BOTTLENECK
- 6. COMMAND, CONTROL AND PLANNING: WHO GIVES THE ORDERS?
- 7. NUCLEAR DETERRENCE: THE STRUCTURAL VOID NO ONE WANTS TO NAME
- 8. A REALISTIC BALANCE SHEET: WHAT EUROPE CAN — AND CANNOT — DO
Who it's for
Strategy, corporate-development and investment teams that need an ecosystem-level view — budgets, industrial capacity and technology landscapes — before committing capital or capacity.
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Methodology, format & delivery
DFM reports are built from primary and official sources — TED procurement notices, CORDIS and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, EIB operations, the NATO Innovation Fund portfolio, SIPRI data, official budget documents and company disclosures — read together with the underlying legal texts. Sources are cited in the document; it reflects them as of its publication date (24 February 2026). You receive a 13-page PDF, watermarked to you on every page, delivered on the confirmation page and by e-mail immediately after checkout (personal link valid 72 hours, up to 5 downloads). Guest checkout, single-user licence — Terms of Sale.
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