Dutch Chief of Defense Staff warns of Europe's vulnerability until 2030

Europe will face a period of vulnerability until 2030 as it strives to rearm. Chief of the Defense Staff of the Dutch Armed Forces Onno Eichelsheim said this at the Euronews Defense and Space Summit, The Gurdian reports.

“There is a gap between today’s threats and the armed forces, which will be ready only in a few years,” the military man said. According to him, during this period Europe needs to ensure that there is effective deterrence, and if it turns out to be ineffective, “we must start fighting.”

Eichelsheim also called for making the right decisions in procurement and industrial cooperation and working together, not just in the national interest. “We don’t need 27 different drone programs,” he said.

“The success of European defense cooperation will not be measured by the number of programs we create, but by the equipment we provide to our soldiers,” the general emphasized.

He said EU tools “only work if we use them correctly,” while European defense matchmaking programs are currently “like Tinder, with all the same problems.”