Europe is accelerating defence production, but the materials needed to manufacture modern weapons remain a strategic vulnerability. The European Commission’s selection of 46 new critical raw materials projects, representing an estimated €21.1 billion in investment requirements, highlights an increasingly urgent challenge: expanding Europe’s military-industrial capacity means little if essential supply chains remain exposed to geopolitical disruption. From fighter aircraft and missile systems to radars and precision-guided weapons, access to critical minerals is becoming a fundamental question of European defence readiness. A €21.1 Billion Pipeline — Not Yet a €21.1 Billion Investment The European Commission’s latest selection of 46 strategic raw materials projects marks another step in implementing the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). The projects span 16 EU member states and cover 15 of the 17 materials designated as strategic under European legislation. Their combined estimated investment requirement reaches €21.1 billion. However, the distinction between strategic designation and actual industrial capacity is essential. Selected projects benefit from accelerated permitting procedures and assistance in accessing public and private financing. Strategic status does not automatically guarantee funding, construction or eventual commercial production. The Commission’s challenge is therefore not simply identifying promising projects. It is ensuring that commercially viable facilities can be financed, permitted, built and connected to European industrial customers. For the defence sector, where production lead times already extend across multiple years, this distinction matters considerably.  Why Critical Raw Materials Are a Defence Capability Issue Modern military systems depend on specialised materials whose availability cannot always be rapidly expanded. Rare earth elements are essential to many high-performance permanent magnets used in motors, actuators and electronic systems. Gallium and germanium have important applications in advanced semiconductors, infrared technology and high-frequency electronics. Tungsten is valued for its density, hardness and high-temperature properties, while nickel, cobalt and titanium support specialised alloys and aerospace manufacturing. Examples of strategically relevant materials Material Defence and aerospace applications Rare earths Permanent...

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