NATO moves toward major boost in arms production

As the NATO summit is underway, the alliance on Tuesday moved toward a major boost in arms production as it signed a nearly $700 million contract enabling member countries to produce more anti-aircraft Stinger missiles.

The FIM-92 Stinger is a portable surface-to-air missile system by Raytheon that can be utilized by ground troops or mounted on vehicles to provide short-range defense against aerial threats. The system, first produced in 1978 and upgraded many times, helps troops—without immediate air support—target an enemy aircraft. The Stinger was among the first U.S. weapons delivered to Ukraine following the Russian invasion in 2022.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced the Stinger contract at a Chamber of Commerce industry day event that focused on preventing future attacks by increasing alliance members’ defense manufacturing capabilities.

“There is no way to provide strong defense without a strong defense industry,” Stoltenberg said.

Newsweek reached out to NATO on Tuesday via email for comment.

The contract arrives amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and heightened tensions between NATO and the Kremlin, prompting alliance leaders to increasingly warn of direct conflict with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior Russian officials have repeatedly threatened nuclear escalation against Kyiv and its Western partners since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Jake Sullivan, national security adviser for the U.S., also revealed on Tuesday that for the first time, NATO countries would each pledge to develop plans to enhance their industrial defense capacities as the alliance aims to prioritize the production of essential defense equipment needed in potential conflicts, according to the Associated Press.

Since the invasion, the U.S. has provided more than $53.6 billion in weapons and security assistance to Ukraine. Other NATO countries and international partners have collectively contributed about $50 billion in security aid, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, an independent research group based in Germany.

Ukraine is set to receive F-16 fighter jets from its Western allies starting this summer. Denmark and the Netherlands are leading the efforts, with the Danes expected to deliver the first F-16s in the summer and the Dutch in the fall. The F-16s, known for their advanced technology, are expected to significantly enhance Ukraine’s aerial capabilities and counter Russian attacks.

In response to the efforts, Andrei Kartapolov, head of the defense committee in the Russian parliament’s lower house, warned that the Kremlin is prepared to strike NATO airfields that host any Ukraine F-16 fighter jet intended for use against Russia. Kartapolov told Russian-state media outlet RIA Novosti that if the Ukrainian F-16s are used to launch attacks on Russia, the NATO bases hosting the fighter jets would be “legitimate targets” for the Kremlin.

Moscow has repeatedly vowed to destroy advanced Western weapons systems sent to Ukraine, claiming that aid from the U.S. and its allies will only prolong—not help win—Kyiv’s war against Russia.