For the first time in the 75-year history of NATO, an alliance-endorsed working conference of business executives, defense officials, and NATO leaders gathered to seek solutions to a safer world.
At the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and occurring alongside the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., the work and discussion focused on transatlantic industrial cooperation and boosting defense production. The Forum was organized in collaboration with NATO and the White House.
At the Forum, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan outlined a series of measures to strengthen U.S. and NATO support for Ukraine. These include establishing a new military command in Germany, led by a three-star general, to oversee the training and equipping of Ukrainian troops and appointing a senior representative in Kyiv to enhance Ukraine’s relationship with the alliance. Emphasizing NATO’s long-term commitment to standing with Ukraine, Sullivan said, “Putin cannot divide us. He cannot outlast us. He cannot weaken us. And Ukraine, not Russia, will prevail.”
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke at the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum, hosted at the Chamber.
Also attending were NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, defense ministers from the Allied nations, and business leaders from key defense companies including Oracle, RTX, Lockheed Martin, and General Atomics.
“There is no way to provide strong defense without a strong defense industry. This industry is key to ensuring we have the ingenuity to maintain our technological edge to defend our alliance,” Stoltenberg said.
He also announced at the Forum that NATO has signed a nearly $700 million contract to have member countries produce more Stinger missiles.
“The war in Ukraine revealed how nation state aggression is a real threat requiring information age ingenuity and industrial era capacity,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
The Forum convened senior government leaders from NATO Allies, close partner nations, and industry leaders to discuss progress, next steps, and opportunities. Together, they will develop recommendations in support of NATO’s program to strengthen defense industry collaboration and to continue the progress of the NATO Defense Production Action Plan (DPAP).
“In an increasingly dangerous world, it is essential that America and our NATO allies restock the traditional ‘arsenals of democracy,’ while simultaneously building the capacity to meet the threats of the future. Needed increases in defense production require greater transatlantic cooperation between both governments and industry,” said Suzanne P. Clark, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. “Thwarting cyber-attacks and meaningfully preparing for an AI future can only be achieved through partnership between government and the private sector. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is pleased to host the first NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum to ensure that the alliance can continue to safeguard the security of its members.”