How Europe Still Relies on the US for Defense

Europeans are scrambling to increase self-reliance, but higher spending has actually deepened the continent’s dependence on American technology and weapons.

A Polish pilot prepares to fly an F-35 Lightning II fighter jet dubbed a "Husarz," at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Ark., on Jan. 31, 2025. Courtesy of Polish Ministry of Defense/Flickr

Analysis

European leaders are scrambling to increase their self-reliance in defense but remain highly dependent on American-made weapons systems.

Threats by the Trump administration have rattled nerves and turbocharged European efforts to build out alternative supply chains and defense systems as leaders across the continent wonder whether the United States will abandon its treaty commitments to the region.

The flurry of activity follows a series of remarks in which President Donald Trump suggested earlier this month that the United States would not defend its allies if they spent too little on defense.

“If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them. No, I’m not going to defend them,” Trump told reporters at the White House on March 6.

Trump also briefly cut off all assistance to Ukraine, going so far as to stop Kyiv from accessing commercial satellite imagery used for tracking Russian troop movements.

European leaders are considering what the future might look like if the U.S. greatly curbs their access to weapons and support.

Although European defense spending was sluggish for decades following the end of the Cold War, military expenditures have been steadily rising across the continent in response to pressure from the United States and concern about potential Russian aggression.

Indeed, in 2024, the United States was the only NATO nation that spent a smaller percentage of its GDP on defense than it did in 2014, the year that the alliance agreed to pursue a base defense spending target of 2 percent of GDP.

Ironically, however, Europe’s increased defense spending has also increased its dependence on the United States.

Arms imports by European NATO states more than doubled from 2015 to 2019, and did so again from 2020 to 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

A map shows Europe after Finland and Sweden joined NATO. Illustration by The Epoch Times

U.S. defense materials accounted for 64 percent of all such arms imports. The next largest provider was France, at just 6.5 percent.

The path to self-reliance in defense technology is therefore likely to be a long and arduous one, as Europe remains heavily dependent on several key systems from the United States that have little or no European alternatives.

Here’s a look at the military equipment for which Europe depends on the United States:

Nuclear Weapons

Europe’s strategic architecture has long been intertwined with advanced U.S. weapon systems, including the might of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

The only NATO powers besides the United States to maintain nuclear weapons are France and the United Kingdom, but it is the United States alone that provides its nuclear weapons to other nations to extend strategic deterrence across Europe.

NATO, and by extension Europe, benefits from a nuclear sharing agreement in which Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey deploy around 150 American-made B61 nuclear bombs as a strategic deterrent.

French President Emmanuel Macron initiated discussions about extending France’s nuclear deterrent to encompass other European nations following Trump’s threats to revoke U.S. military support for Europe.

Macron’s offer to hold a “strategic debate” on the possibility of extending France’s nuclear arsenal to the rest of Europe, effectively replacing the United States’ role, marks a significant shift in France’s defense doctrine but faces hurdles.

(L-R) Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and France's President Emmanuel Macron hold a meeting during a summit at Lancaster House in London, England, on March 2, 2025. Justin Tallis/WPA Pool/Getty Images

Significant time and resources would be needed to develop a self-sufficient nuclear deterrence capability. No European nation has an arsenal equivalent to that of the United States, nor one close to it.

France and the UK combined maintain just over 515 nuclear warheads, whereas the United States has more than 5,000.

As such, Europe will likely need to develop new weapons to make nuclear self-reliance a reality, a process that would be economically and politically difficult given the global non-proliferation regime espoused by leaders throughout Europe.

Advanced Aircraft

European nations are also heavily dependent on the United States for aircraft required to deliver nuclear strikes, as well as other advanced fighter jets and drones.

Strategic bombers like the B-52, B-1, and B-2 offer capabilities unmatched by any European counterpart.  In fact, Europe has no strategic bomber fleets.

A U.S. Air Force B-52 "Stratofortress" bomber, assigned to the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, La., lands during exercise Lightning Focus on Dec. 6, 2018. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christopher Quail via AP

Likewise, European air forces have increasingly turned to U.S.-built fighter jets like the F-35 and F-16 to maintain a technological edge. In all, 14 European Union states, Switzerland, and Turkey all use the F-16, the F-35, or both.

This procurement has only increased over the last decade as Europe has sought a competitive edge against the emerging threat from Russia.

Europe has some alternatives like the Eurofighter Typhoon, but they don’t offer the same level of technological superiority in terms of stealth and avionics.

As with nuclear weapons, developing a bona fide European-made equivalent would require time and substantial investment and might be realized too late for a future conflict.

Two Eurofighter Typhoons at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, England in this file photo. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Maintaining dependence on U.S. fighters presents its own problems, though.

The United States provides extensive training, integration, and infrastructure to support the F-35. The vast majority of the parts, labor, and software updates are almost exclusively American. Likewise, no American-made fighter can operate independently of U.S. communications systems or the U.S.-owned and operated GPS satellite navigation.

As such, European leaders must consider the possibility that should they ever be cut off from U.S. support the way that Ukraine was, their most advanced fighters might quickly become richly valued paperweights.

Missile Defense

Europe is critically reliant on U.S. missile defense systems, including the land-based Patriot and sea-based Aegis systems.

The Patriot system is designed primarily to defend against tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and advanced aircraft. The Aegis system tracks and destroys short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles and less advanced aircraft.

Both systems are deeply integrated into NATO’s broader defense framework and are used by major powers like Germany and Poland.

Some alternatives exist, such as Turkey’s Russian-built S-400s, but these systems lack interoperability with other NATO systems, a hallmark of American defense technology design.

Patriot launchers modules mounted on M983 HEMTT part of the U.S. MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system are pictured in Zamosc, Poland, on Feb. 18, 2023. Omar Marques/Getty Images

European nations would therefore face difficulties in developing a comparable system with the same level of integration into NATO’s existing infrastructure. The United States also provides significant operational support and upgrades for the Patriot and Aegis systems, making self-replacement even more complex.

European NATO nations also have a strong interest in reducing dependence on Russian technology for national security reasons.

With that being said, the United States, Germany, and Italy are working on a joint project to replace the Patriot system with the Medium Extended Air Defense System.

It has faced numerous delays but could allow European powers to adapt a nearly-ready missile defense system to their new needs.

A Challenging Road Ahead

In the near future, Europe faces a difficult path to true self-sufficiency in military affairs.

The continent is grappling with complex geopolitical challenges, technological gaps, and internal divisions, and remains heavily reliant on the United States for critical defense capabilities despite increases in European defense budgets.

This dependency is particularly evident in areas like air and missile defense, where U.S. systems, technology, and leadership continue to play a central role. Should American innovation in these fields continue unabated, Europe’s strategic autonomy could be further compromised.

One of the primary hurdles is the technological gap between the European and American defense industrial bases. Ensuring that Europe can match the research, development, and production capabilities of the United States and other global competitors will be difficult.

Political fragmentation could also complicate efforts to build a unified and autonomous military force. The European Union’s defense policies remain in their infancy, and the divergence in defense spending across EU members will make it difficult to create a cohesive and independent European military force.

However, Europe still has the potential to become more self-sufficient in military affairs provided it can make a long-term commitment and foster intra-European cooperation.

For now, Europe’s fate rests largely in the hands of American-made weaponry.