The head of French warplane maker Dassault Aviation (AM.PA), delivered a blunt assessment of Europe’s turnaround on defence spending on Wednesday, saying the continent’s leaders had talked for decades about co-operation to little effect.
CEO Eric Trappier said he was closely watching budget discussions and that the Rafale manufacturer would be ready to seize any opportunities presented by Europe’s need to rearm, given a rift over security with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Asked what he expected from an emergency European summit on Ukraine and European security, Trappier told reporters: “What I would like to see is European governments granting preference to European industry. I have been saying it for 30 years.”
Trappier said France’s historical refusal since the 1950s to rely mainly on the United States had been proved right by current events and that it would take time to rebuild capacity.
European leaders agreed over the weekend to boost defence spending to show Trump that the continent could protect itself and Germany, Europe’s largest economy, has announced major changes to increase military spending.
Speaking to reporters after presenting annual results, Trappier delivered a withering assessment of the policies of neighbours who have tied their security in large part to the United States, including with purchases of the rival F-35.
“I’m delighted that Germany has realised that they have to invest in defence. We have already heard this a few years ago,” Trappier told a press conference.
“There was a 100 billion (euro re-armament) plan in Germany, and one of the first decisions was to buy the F-35 to carry American nuclear arms: I wonder how effective that is today.”
In 2022, Germany decided to order 35 F-35s made by U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab, including missiles and other weapons, for around 10 billion euros.
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