NATO on Tuesday showcased a series of military projects worth billions of dollars in an attempt to convince President Donald Trump that U.S. allies are converting fresh defense spending into real firepower.
NATO’s ‘Big Reveal’
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told government ministers and defense industry officials on the sidelines of a summit in Turkey that ‘it’s money well spent.’ The event was billed as NATO’s ‘big reveal,’ featuring a slick video display and techno music.
A deal to replace the aging AWACS early warning radar surveillance planes was announced Tuesday. Swedish manufacturer Saab will be supplying up to 10 new GlobalEye surveillance aircraft for a 10-nation consortium.
Defense Sales Announced
Representatives from 15 nations announced a multinational effort to buy air-to-air refueling and transport planes from Airbus. Additionally, a four-country effort to purchase as many as five new Triton surveillance drones was announced.
The defense industry splash comes a few weeks after Rutte tried to ease U.S. concerns about military spending at NATO with a new pitch using a chart labeled the ‘The Trump Trillion’ — showing $1.2 trillion in spending by European allies and Canada since 2017.
However, Trump appeared unmoved, saying he was still disappointed at some NATO allies’ refusal to join the Iran war, which he had launched alongside Israel without consulting them.
Debate Over Jet Sales to Turkey
The summit is being held in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s sprawling palace compound in Ankara, and Trump has suggested he would come bearing gifts for the Turkish leader. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the U.S. not to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, saying that Erdogan ‘calls openly for the annihilation of Israel.’
Original reporting: KTSA News/Talk (San Antonio) — read the source article.
