EU Names First Strategic Defence Industry Projects

Building Europe's defence capabilities EU Identifies First Strategic Defence Industry Projects

2026-09-30 From Detlev Karg 1 min Reading Time

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The European Union has approved its first five European Defence Projects of Common Interest (EDPCIs), targeting critical military capabilities ranging from drones and missile defence to maritime security and space infrastructure.

Brussels is pushing for greater industrial cooperation to reduce Europe's defence capability gaps.(Picture: AI generated) — Brussels is pushing for greater industrial cooperation to reduce Europe's defence capability gaps.
(Picture: AI generated)

The initiative aims to strengthen Europe's defence readiness and industrial capacity through multinational cooperation. The projects were introduced under the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), adopted in 2025. They are designed to support the joint development of capabilities considered essential to EU security, particularly where individual member states lack the resources or industrial capacity to act independently.

Five key projects

The five projects cover key areas of European defence. DECODER aims to expand the development, production and deployment of drones and counter-drone technologies, while IMSD focuses on integrated maritime and seabed defence, including the protection of critical underwater infrastructure. SPACE will strengthen Europe's military space capabilities, encompassing missile early-warning satellites, secure communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), precision positioning and timing, navigation warfare and the rapid launch of replacement satellites. Meanwhile, EU Federated Integrated Air and Missile Defence seeks to establish a coordinated European air and missile defence architecture, including long-range threat detection and integrated command-and-control systems. Finally, Eastern Flank Watch will reinforce security along Europe's eastern borders across land, air, maritime, cyber and other operational domains.

Funding can start right now

The five selected initiatives are now eligible for initial EU funding through EDIP, potentially paving the way for additional support from the future European Competitiveness Fund. Irish Defence Minister Helen McEntee welcomed the decision, highlighting cooperation with Norway and Ukraine: “We are jointly taking decisive steps to protect space, our skies, our seas, undersea cables and the citizens who depend on them.” The initiative marks a further step towards a coordinated European defence industrial strategy, linking multinational capability development with EU funding and longer-term industrial cooperation.

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