NATO allies announced defence contracts worth at least $50 billion on the opening day of the alliance’s annual summit in Ankara, a figure Secretary General Mark Rutte said would rise as final tallies are completed. The package includes a $5 billion deal for Swedish-made Saab GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to replace the ageing Boeing E-3 fleet, a $2.7 billion purchase of Northrop Grumman Triton maritime drones, and a $4.3 billion order for Airbus A400M transport planes. Separately, allies committed more than $40 billion over five years to counter-drone capabilities and a plan to train five times as many drone operators by the end of 2027.

According to NATO officials, the announcements were designed to demonstrate to President Donald Trump that European members are responding to his demands for higher defence spending. Rutte presented a chart labelled “the Trump Trillion” during a pre-summit White House visit, showing $1.2 trillion in combined European and Canadian defence expenditure since 2017. The alliance has also adopted a target of spending 5 percent of GDP on defence by 2035, more than double the previous benchmark. European diplomats in Ankara described the summit’s industry forum, which gathered ministers and over 100 defence firms, as an effort to translate those pledges into concrete production capacity.

Viewed from European capitals, the contracts reflect a dual imperative: placating Washington while gradually reducing dependence on US manufacturers. The shift to Saab’s GlobalEye, for instance, was framed by Rutte as a necessary replacement for a system that “served us well” but is reaching the end of its life. Yet other deals reinforce transatlantic industrial ties, such as the Triton purchase by Denmark, Finland, Germany and Norway. A NATO diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that some allies remain wary of provoking friction with the United States, where officials have warned against European protectionism in defence procurement.

Trump, however, used his opening press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to air a series of grievances. He stated that European allies had “let the US down” by refusing to assist in military operations against Iran, criticised Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for denying access to bases, and suggested UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer had damaged his political standing by not heeding Washington’s requests. Trump also reiterated his interest in acquiring Greenland, citing what he described as Danish inaction against Russian and Chinese vessels. The summit is scheduled to conclude on Wednesday with a working session of the North Atlantic Council, where officials expect to release a final consolidated figure for the new contracts.