Weapon prices have skyrocketed in Europe — Estonian Defense Minister

Prices for certain types of military equipment in Europe have risen by 50–60% over the past two years.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur stated this in a comment to Bloomberg.

According to him, the price increase is linked to the rapid rise in defense spending among NATO countries, which are actively ramping up arms purchases.

“When we bought something two years ago, and now we want to increase the volume of purchases of the same item, the price for some items has risen by 50–60%,” said Pevkur.

Bloomberg notes that such price increases are complicating NATO’s rearmament plans, as Europe is forced to rapidly strengthen its defense while simultaneously supporting Ukraine amid a shift in the U.S. focus away from Europe.

Pevkur also stated that the European defense sector is in no hurry to increase production without long-term contracts from governments.

According to the Estonian minister’s assessment, the period of greatest risk of provocations by Russia against NATO could occur as early as this year or next.

The Estonian government has approved additional funding of 17 million euros to strengthen the border with Russia, specifically for the modernization of surveillance systems and the implementation of artificial intelligence technologies.

Earlier, Estonia ordered additional HIMARS systems from the U.S. and may receive them as early as 2027—sooner than planned. At the same time, the country is developing its own defense infrastructure in partnership with the American company Lockheed Martin. As a result, Tallinn is building a more flexible and long-range missile arsenal.