European countries now believe that they must re-arm themselves in large quantities and at a rapid pace, both to maintain Ukraine's combat capability and to prepare for a potentially imminent broader conflict.

President of the United States, Trump said that the US is continuing efforts to prevent the war in Ukraine.

However, the reality is that people are increasingly worried that the war in Ukraine may continue, and will continue to consume large amounts of weapons. Allies of the US in Europe and the Pacific are concerned that if Russia believes it can easily win, it may further launch territorial plundering wars.

Last week, the International Defence and Security Exhibition held in East London was one of the largest in its history, with many companies hoping to ride the wave of growing defense spending across Europe and globally.

During the exhibition and before its opening, the UK announced a series of important statements, including an agreement to sell British-made anti-submarine frigates to Norway. However, at the same time, many small and medium-sized enterprises also complained that governments in the UK and other European countries are often too slow in awarding contracts, causing ambitious start-ups to face financial difficulties.

During the exhibition, the tech giant Google signed a 400 million pound agreement with the UK government to develop secure cloud computing systems to better share information with the US and other allies.

But the priority is often to develop weapon systems that can be rapidly scaled up in production and are cost-effective enough to be used on a large scale without causing massive expenses. This includes developing a new generation of affordable "intercept drones" capable of shooting down other drones and missiles, costing far less than the US "Patriot" air defense missile system.

The "Patriot" missile costs over 4 million dollars per unit. It is in high demand, both in Ukraine and for the self-protection of the US and its allies. Ukraine is particularly committed to finding more cost-effective solutions to shoot down Russian missiles.

For the most ambitious defense companies, their growth rate is remarkable. Two years ago, when Milrem, an Estonian ground unmanned vehicle company, exhibited its latest project at the London DSEI arms fair, it was seeking European funding for its latest project. Now, the basic model of Milrem's ground vehicle has been adopted by ten countries. These countries can obtain some shared user data from the Ukrainian battlefield. In addition to expensive foreign unmanned vehicles, Ukraine has also independently developed and deployed a full-scale, cheaper remote-controlled ground fleet for more dangerous tasks.

These tasks include evacuating the wounded, clearing roads, resupplying ammunition, and a range of other tasks that could previously have endangered personnel. As one Ukrainian officer said, "We don't have enough manpower, so we have to rely on technology to make up for it."

For foreign companies that have not yet tested their equipment in Ukraine, this has sparked a race to send new equipment to the front lines for testing.

Automaker IDV is one of many companies focusing on providing a higher degree of autonomy. The technology provided by this company allows one driver to control multiple military trucks or allow vehicles to return to a safer base on their own after completing a mission (such as transporting the wounded).

What air defense weapons does Ukraine have? Are they effective?

The manager of the company, Jeff Davis, said, "We see a huge demand for robotic technology in everything from logistics to route clearing. These new technologies will completely change the operational effectiveness and efficiency of modern conflicts."

However, not everyone believes that foreign manufacturers can bring significant advantages to Ukraine as they claim. Because the number of weapons consumed on the front line in Ukraine is extremely large, if relying on these expensive Western systems, the cost could lead to catastrophic consequences.

Ukrainian officials and experts described a 30-kilometer-long "death zone" built by drones on the front line. Any person or vehicle moving or generating a significant thermal signal in this area could become a target for attack.

Bob Silvester, a former British soldier and politician who has written books on Ukraine, said that if an army uses expensive drones costing tens of thousands of dollars or even more, it could easily find itself consuming billions of dollars every week.

He warned, "The Western defense industry model has collapsed," unless it can produce more weapons at a lower cost.

US factories working overtime to produce ammunition for Ukraine

According to Politico, the CEO of Rheinmetall, Armin Papperger, said that due to disagreements over site selection, the company's plan to build an ammunition factory in Ukraine has been delayed.

However, the company confirmed that the construction of the factory is still ongoing, and Ukraine will receive the "Skyranger" air defense gun from Rheinmetall by the end of this year. Supporters believe that this system could become a "game-changer" against drones on the front lines and may bring another major shift in the battlefield situation.

But this also raises another challenge: countries competing to invest may be burdened by equipment that quickly becomes obsolete. Western armies and their related industries have long struggled with this challenge, but the risk this time may be much higher.

Sources: DW

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