Despite the NATO’s two percent defense spending target established in 2014, many European countries fall short largely due to financial limitations and inadequate defense industry capacity. While NATO members collectively spend 2.7% of their GDP on defense, nations like Italy and Spain lag behind significantly. The ongoing dependency on US defense contractors highlights challenges within the European arms industry. Former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has urged EU countries to modernize their military forces and strengthen domestic arms manufacturing to enhance competitiveness.