Ankara (TDI): NATO member states are expected to announce major arms procurement and defense cooperation agreements worth tens of billions of dollars as alliance leaders gather in Ankara for the 2026 NATO Summit, where security spending and transatlantic cooperation will dominate the agenda.
The announcements are expected ahead of US President Donald Trump’s meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other NATO leaders. The summit officially begins with a leaders’ dinner on Tuesday evening.
Defense spending remains one of the central issues at the summit, with Trump continuing to press European allies to assume a greater share of the alliance’s security burden. He has repeatedly argued that NATO members should increase defense expenditure to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Responding to those concerns, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said European allies are significantly increasing their defense commitments to ensure a more balanced and sustainable alliance. “We are now creating an alliance which is sustainable, where the United States knows it is a fair deal,” Rutte told reporters in Ankara.
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Several major defense announcements are expected during the summit, although many details remain confidential. According to Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz, Denmark is preparing to unveil defense agreements worth more than €3 billion (approximately $3.4 billion). The package is expected to include cooperation with Belgium on air defense systems and with the United Kingdom on naval capabilities.
Separately, Denmark confirmed it will purchase two P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from US aerospace company Boeing. Danish officials said the aircraft will strengthen maritime surveillance, improve anti-submarine warfare capabilities and enhance security around Denmark and Greenland while helping fulfil NATO capability targets.
On the sidelines of the summit, the United States is also holding discussions with Germany and other European partners on expanding joint missile production in Europe. According to media reports, the proposed cooperation includes the co-production of Raytheon’s AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles as well as the establishment of a European maintenance facility for Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 Patriot missile system.
The participating countries are expected to sign a statement of intent during the NATO Industry Forum, paving the way for closer industrial cooperation and increased defense manufacturing capacity across Europe.
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Alliance members are also considering replacing NATO’s ageing fleet of US-built Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft with Saab’s GlobalEye airborne surveillance platform. The move is part of NATO’s broader effort to modernize its military capabilities and strengthen intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in response to evolving security challenges.
