The
does not have a formal policy to restrict European countries' indigenous weapon development. However, recent U.S. actions and policies have inadvertently created conditions that push European nations to accelerate their own defense industries and reduce their historical reliance on American defense technology and arms sales.
The U.S. influences European defense development through several mechanisms:
- Export Controls and Sales Pauses: In late 2025, the U.S. temporarily suspended new arms sales to European allies to prioritize domestic stockpiles for a potential conflict with China. This included vital systems like Patriot air defense systems. These pauses have highlighted the vulnerability of relying on a single supplier and spurred Europe to develop its own industrial capacity.
- Technological Dependence (Lock-in Effect): Europe heavily relies on the U.S. for high-end technologies like the F-35 fighter jet and associated software. Because ultimate control over these systems' intellectual property and updates remains with the U.S. government, this creates a "lock-in effect" that makes it difficult for European nations to switch to alternative, domestically-developed systems.
- Political Pressure and "America First" Policies: U.S. officials have objected to European initiatives designed to favor European manufacturers in procurement, arguing that such actions lock out U.S. companies and undermine transatlantic industrial cooperation. This has led to contradictory pressures: the U.S. demands Europe spend more on defense but also wants that money to be spent on American, not European, companies.
- Restrictions on Use and Resale (ITAR): U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) allow the U.S. to place restrictions on how American-made weapons can be used or resold by allies. The desire to have "free hands" without U.S. restrictions is one reason European officials cite for needing their own sovereign defense industry.
In response to these factors, the European Union has launched plans like the SAFE loans program to favor European manufacturers and build a more sovereign European defense industrial base.
