Nato members scrambling to rearm for a potential war with Russia face “empty shelves” after three decades of neglect in the defence industry, the alliance’s former top military officer has warned.
Armed forces face “unacceptable” waits of up to seven years for tanks, fighter jets and Patriot air defence missiles, Admiral Rob Bauer told The Times after the Kyiv Security Forum last week. Bauer, a former commander of the Dutch armed forces, stepped down as chairman of Nato’s military committee last year.
He said President Trump had been a “blessing” for renewed investment, pushing all Nato members to hit the decade-old target of spending 2 per cent of national income on defence and to agree to raise it to 3.5 per cent by 2035. But manufacturing cannot keep pace with the extra funding, he said.
