Ukraine war drives European demand for bigger arsenals of cheaper missiles

Skyhammer interceptor missiles are displayed at Cambridge Aerospace's manufacturing facility in Cambridge, Britain, on July 1. | CAMBRIDGE AEROSPACE / VIA REUTERS

REUTERS

Sep 17, 2026

European militaries are increasingly exploring cheaper missiles and interceptors after conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East exposed the limits of small inventories of high-end weapons.

Along Europe’s eastern flank, Russia’s daily drone and missile attacks on Ukraine have highlighted a lesson often overlooked in peacetime procurement planning: modern conflicts can consume weapons faster than many countries can replace them.

“If you think you have enough cruise missiles in your inventory, you probably don’t,” said Douglas Barrie of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

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