Defence Ramp-Up 2026
Europe’s defence ramp-up will be decided by industrial execution: how quickly manufacturers can scale production, strengthen the supply base and decide at the pace of demand.
TURNING ORDER BOOKS INTO DELIVERED CAPABILITY
Defence spending is rising, but larger order books do not automatically translate into delivered capability. Production capacity, qualification and supply-chain resilience will determine how effectively manufacturers can respond.
The challenge is to scale without building fragility into the system. That means more repeatable production, stronger suppliers, faster governance, and capacity that retains value when demand changes.
This paper sets out H&Z’s perspective on the operating choices that will shape the next phase of Europe’s defence ramp-up.
What’s Inside?
- Moving from low-volume production to repeatable series production
- Managing the true production constraint
- Scaling and qualifying the Tier 2 and Tier 3 supply base
- Building resilience through dual-use
- Reducing decision latency through clearer governance
WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOW
Requalifying a changed production process takes 18 to 24 months, and standing up new sub-tier capacity takes 12 to 24 months even where finance and labour are in place. A converted plant can take five to seven years to reach full capacity. Germany’s Federal Employment Agency lists 163 official bottleneck occupations, and the European Commission puts the equity gap for European defence SMEs at close to EUR 2bn.
DOWNLOAD OUR STRATEGY PAPER HERE
Build industrial capability that lasts beyond the current ramp-up.
