EU makes a move to standardize European procurement...

via Defense News (a-freakin-gain!).

The PESCO defense pact – a show of unity and a tangible step in EU integration – was set up in December 2017 between EU governments and involved two phases of joint initiatives, each consisting of 17 projects.

The third and latest phase, to be launched this week, is for an unspecified number of new projects. The founding PESCO members, including France, Germany and Italy, have been asked to table proposals by the summer with a view to these being approved by the end of 2019.

The new batch of projects is likely to be smaller than the previous two, the second of which was launched last November, and is expected to be more “mature” when it comes to the projects’ setup, including support by member states, one official said.

EU members are responsible for developing and implementing PESCO projects. An EU defence source said, “They are still at an initial stage, or incubation phase.”

Twelve of the existing 34 schemes are expected to reach initial operational capability by 2022, with four of these due to be implemented later this year, according to the source.

The 34 schemes include a harbor and maritime surveillance and protection (HARMSPRO) project, designed to deliver a new maritime capability with the ability to conduct surveillance and protection of specified maritime areas, from harbors up to littoral waters.

Another is the Training Mission Competence Centre which aims to improve the availability and professionalism of personnel for EU training missions. The list also includes a European armoured infantry vehicle and cyber rapid response teams.

Other projects involve developing new equipment, such as infantry fighting vehicles, amphibious assault vehicles, light armored vehicles, indirect fire support, strategic command-and-control systems for EU defense missions, minesweeping drones, upgrading maritime surveillance and developing a joint secure software defined radio.

Story here. 

Oh this is too delicious.

I'd love to see how they accomplish this.  Will they allow production in individual countries?

This is all leading to an EU army.  Will Poland/Nordic countries fall in line behind an obvious French attempt to lead it?

What about NATO?  Will this make calls to pull out of Europe more appealing? A move toward the Pacific is inevitable and every delay is putting the US at risk.  There ARE some hawks that insist that Russia is a threat that the US must face, but many (myself included) believe that the EU can stand alone against it.

My guess?

This is the beginning of the end of NATO.  How they've kept this beast alive this long is beyond me but it proves that bureaucracy at the end of the day exists to keep itself alive.