The European Commission on Friday proposed five major cross‑border defense
projects, paving the way for EU funding. Designated as European Defense Projects
of Common Interest (EDPCI), they include: a drone and counter‑drone program
involving 26 EU member states plus Norway and Ukraine; an Eastern Flank
vigilance project with 13 EU members, Norway and Ukraine; an integrated maritime
and undersea defense project; an air and missile defense and early‑warning
project; and a space‑based defense project. EDPCI projects are seeded with an
initial €325 mln allocation under the European Defense Industrial Programme
(about $372 mln); additional funding may follow.