Europe’s Main Military Powers Unveil Plans for Low-Cost Air-Defense Systems

Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and the UK announced the initiative, known as LEAP, at a meeting in the Polish city of Krakow.

An Iranian drone, Shahed 136 (Geranium-2), at an open-air exhibition of destroyed Russian equipment in Kyiv on Oct. 27, 2025. Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images

Europe’s five biggest military powers announced on Feb. 20 that they are teaming up on a multi-million-dollar project to bring low-cost air-defense systems such as autonomous drones and missiles into production in the next 12 months.

Representatives made the announcement at the European Group of Five (E5) defense ministers meeting in Krakow, Poland, which brought together the continent’s five largest defense spenders: France, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the UK. Also in attendance were representatives from NATO and the European Union.