Thematic analysis across the CEE defence landscape — air defence, armour, procurement, cyber, and more.
6 articles
From SHORAD gaps to Patriot batteries — the layered challenge
CEE NATO members are racing to close air defence gaps exposed by Russia's Ukraine campaign. Analysis of Patriot, SHORAD, and the emerging integrated air and missile defence architecture.
CEE NATO's tank modernisation from Cold War stocks to fifth-generation systems
CEE NATO members are replacing Soviet-era T-72s and T-55s with Western main battle tanks at pace. Poland's K2 procurement, Romania's Abrams purchase, and Germany's Leopard 2 transfers are reshaping the armoured balance on the eastern flank.
Why Central and Eastern Europe is spending more and faster than anywhere else on earth
Since February 2022, Central and Eastern European NATO members have collectively committed over $200 billion in defence procurement. Analysis of what is being bought, from whom, at what speed, and the industrial bottlenecks threatening delivery timelines.
How the Ukraine war reset priorities for precision long-range fires
The war in Ukraine demonstrated artillery's decisive role at a scale Western planners had deprioritised. CEE NATO members are now fielding South Korean K9 howitzers, Polish Krab SPGs, and US HIMARS MLRS systems at unprecedented pace, rebuilding fires capability hollowed out during the 1990s drawdown.
The CCDCOE doctrine, national cyber commands, and the hybrid threat landscape
Estonia's CCDCOE has become NATO's cyber doctrine hub, but implementation varies dramatically across CEE. Analysis of national cyber commands, critical infrastructure protection, and Russia's ongoing hybrid operations across the region.
Why fuel, ammunition, and host-nation support may matter more than firepower
NATO's eastern flank has sufficient firepower commitments on paper, but the logistics infrastructure to sustain high-intensity combat remains a critical vulnerability. Analysis of supply chains, rail gauges, bridge classifications, fuel depots, and the host-nation support frameworks that will determine how long NATO can fight.