Thread by @noclador

🇮🇹 Italy will become the highest defence spender in Europe if 🇪🇺 President Ursula von der Leyen manages to activate the EU's escape clause for defence investment.

You see, Italy produces almost everything (!) what its military wants in Italy - even all of the Italian F-35.
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Italian Prime Minister @GiorgiaMeloni has said for years that only countries with a robust AND a ready military will sit at the table, while everyone else will be on the menu.
So she chose defence industry manager @GuidoCrosetto as her defence minister. But the European rule
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that Eurozone member must keep their budget deficit below 3% blocked Meloni's desire to put Europe's biggest navy into the water and the biggest air force in the air... so far.
If the 3% rule falls Meloni can finally spend billions on the military, which will also be a
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giant stimulus package and, in combination with the hiring 100,000+ additional troops, supercharge the Italian economy.
So what does Italy produce... almost everything but nuclear weapons (not yet at least).
Want an aircraft carrier - there are two yards able to build them.
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Destroyers? Frigates? The yards at Riva Trigoso and Muggiano have a dozen of these in the works at all times.
The ships' guns are made in Italy, as are the radars, combat system, diesel generators, air defence missiles, etc. The GE gas turbines are license produced in Italy.
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Want submarines? Of course Italy builds them... but in this case with a lot of German parts as the U212-class is a German-Italian co-development.
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But Italy produces its own torpedoes, sea mines, anti-ship missiles, etc.
Likewise Italy produces its own aerial bombs, artillery projectiles, rifles, etc.
Even the Spike anti-tank guided missiles are license produced in Italy.
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As said before Italy manufactures its own F-35... and the more F-35 Italy orders, the more F-35 wings Lockheed Martin has to order from the Italian F-35 factory in Cameri in return.
But Italy also manufactures/ assembles its own Eurofighters, and if you want a
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jet powered trainer aircraft or a light fighter - of course Italy builds those in Italy too... but with a Honeywell engine. The radar and avionics are Italian though.
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Tactical transport aircraft are of course also made in Italy. As are Aerial Gunships, Electronic Warfare aircraft, etc.
Of course Italy also produces its own satellites in Italy (in a joint venture with Thales of France).
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Almost all Italian military helicopters are produced in Italy, the exception were the CH-47F Chinook helicopters, which were only assembled in Italy.
But tactical transport helicopters, anti-submarine warfare helicopters, etc. are Italian made.
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As are all the Italian Army's attack helicopters... but as with most Italian helicopters also for the attack helicopter the engine is from GE, while almost everything else in the helicopter is Italian made.
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As for land combat systems - everything is either license produced in Italy or Italian designed and built: Ariete, Dardo, Freccia, Centauro, Lince, etc.
Even the new KF41 Lynx and KF51 Panther will be assembled in Italy and consist of 60% Italian made components.
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What Italy does not produce (besides aircraft engines) are night vision devices (those are all American made), mortars, rocket launchers (HIMARS, but Italy is negotiating to license produce GMLRS and PrSM in Italy), and systems, which are procured in such low numbers that
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an Italian production doesn't make sense (i.e. artillery locating radars from Sweden, tanker aircraft from the US, combat UAVs from the US, airborne early warning aircraft modifications from Israel).

Italy always tries to share the development costs with other nations, but
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then produce the system in Italy. A few examples: SAMP/T with France, AGM-88E Advanced Anti Radiation Guided Missile with the US, etc.

In short: Italy's decades long policy to produce weapon systems in Italy and thus spend at least 80% of defence procurement funds at home
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is the reason Meloni's government is itching to ditch the EU's 3% rule.
Once that is gone Italy can go wild with its defence procurement, which means a) economic stimulus and b) take a seat at the table where the future of Europe is decided.
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I have been arguing for years that the 3% rule has to be ditched as we are close to war and no European military is ready for it.
Ditch the 3% now and start ordering as if the russians are already at the gates of Paris!
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Because putin's combat-hardened horde isn't gonna give Europe to the time to rearm. Once there is a ceasefire in Ukraine, russia will begin the preparations to attack all of Europe.
And if your nation isn't investing in defence, then you're gonna be on putin's menu.
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