JAKARTA - Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Mark Rutte, announced three new multinational defense initiatives while opening the 2026 NATO Summit through a defense industry forum focused on strengthening joint procurement.
In his speech at the NATO Defense Industry Forum, which was the first official agenda of the two-day summit in Ankara, Turkey, Rutte introduced a number of projects aimed at strengthening the alliance's capabilities in the fields of military air transport, intelligence, and surveillance.
The first initiative is a multinational modernization program with a main focus on the Airbus A400M transport aircraft and the Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aerial refueling fleet.
"A number of NATO member countries will officially announce the delivery of additional Airbus A330 MRTT aircraft," said Rutte as quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Tuesday, July 7.
He explained that the project was a step to strengthen the strategic air transport capabilities and refueling in the air for NATO.
Rutte also announced a joint procurement project for the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle to improve the alliance's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
"The additional aircraft will strengthen the ability to conduct continuous surveillance in the vast waters," he said.
The third announcement relates to plans to replace NATO's aging Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) fleet.
NATO member states will make joint procurements of up to 10 Swedish-made Saab GlobalEye reconnaissance aircraft to replace the US-made Boeing E-3A Sentry AWACS aircraft currently used by the alliance.
The NATO summit will last until Wednesday (8/7) with an agenda discussing increasing defense investment, military support for Ukraine, and efforts to strengthen the defense industry base of member countries.
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