European governments are approaching the United States government and defense contractors with a “shopping list of arms” after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to a report.
The list includes drones, missiles, and missile defenses, as the conflict in Ukraine has driven “renewed demand for U.S. weaponry,” Reuters reported Thursday.
According to the report, Germany has inquired about systems to defend against ballistic missiles, as they near a deal for 35 F-35 jet fighters manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp.
Poland wants to purchase sophisticated Reaper drone systems from the U.S., and requests are coming in from other countries in Eastern Europe.
“Allies are keen to acquire weaponry that Ukraine has successfully used against Russian forces,” including anti-aircraft Stinger missiles and anti-tank Javelin missiles, two people familiar with the demand told Reuters.
Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin Corp stand to benefit from the surge in demand since Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin Corp jointly produce Javelins, and Raytheon makes Stingers.
Since the invasion began on February 24, Lockheed stock has risen 8.3%, and Raytheon shares 3.9%.
Raytheon executive Tom Laliberty told Reuters that the company recognizes “the urgent need to replenish depleted inventories of Javelin and Stinger.”
Breitbart News reported earlier this week that global research analysts believe the war will “ensure investors” a rising U.S. defense budget and lead to an increase in defense spending across Europe.
Since the sale of arms by U.S. defense contractors to foreign governments requires U.S. government approval, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Administration’s European Crisis Management Team is having weekly meetings to review specific requests related to the current situation in Ukraine, according to Reuters.
U.S. defense deals typically take years of negotiations, approvals, and vetting after countries have spent up to several years deciding on their needs, according to Reuters, but to speed up these deals, the Pentagon has re-established a team to respond to the increased demand.
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