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**Europe Could Go It Alone Militarily, But It Would Cost $1 Trillion and Take 25 Years, Says Report**

**Brussels** – Europe could theoretically function without U.S. military support, but doing so would come at a staggering cost of $1 trillion and take a quarter of a century to achieve, according to a new report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

The IISS report, released on Thursday, warns that a hypothetical withdrawal of the U.S. from Europe would leave NATO facing a significant threat, particularly from Russia. European nations would then be facing the issue to fill critical gaps in military capabilities.

The $1 trillion price tag includes the cost of replacing American equipment and personnel with equivalent resources. A major cost would include the purchase of 400 tactical aircraft, 20 destroyers, and 24 long-range surface-to-air missile systems. Replacing the 128,000 U.S. military personnel currently stationed in Europe would add over $12 billion, based on the report’s estimations. The costs do not account for expenses associated with command and control systems, space utilization, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and nuclear weapons.

Beyond hardware and manpower, European nations would also need to fill key leadership positions, including the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), and intensify diplomatic coordination efforts.

While there’s a growing trend towards purchasing European-made defense products, particularly in land-based systems, investment in naval and air capabilities remains limited. For example, local manufacturers lack the capacity to produce stealth fighter jets and advanced missile systems, the report notes. According to IISS analysis of tenders between February 2022 and September 2024, European suppliers won 52% of the value, while American suppliers secured 34%.

“Europe is currently allocating considerably more funds to defense than in the past,” the report highlights. However, Ursula von der Leyen’s, President of the European Commission, vision of a fully European-supplied defense sector isn’t likely to happen anytime soon.

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