Bloomberg: NATO plans defense industry access to secret military standards as Russian threats grow

NATO is initiating the exchange of top-secret information with the defense industry and the EU, detailing the weapons and equipment member countries need to produce, Bloomberg reports, citing sources. This initiative comes as NATO members seek to rearm amid Russia's war against Ukraine. In January, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that Moscow could potentially attack NATO territory within the next five to six years, citing rapid Russian military industrialization as a key concern. Due to the confidential nature of the information, these standards will be shared gradually as NATO adapts them to the needs. According to informed sources, the Alliance is exploring secure ways to share select data to encourage defense companies to increase their production capacities amid Russia's threats. Such a move will require consensus among NATO member states, which could be reached within the next few months, a source noted. Separately, NATO is beginning a process to share some classified standards with the European Union, which includes 24 of NATO's 32 member states. These standards are military criteria aimed at harmonizing the armed forces of member states and achieving interoperability among allies. They could encompass aspects like weapon calibers or military terminology. Access to this information could help the EU align regulations in both military and dual-use domains, such as radio frequencies. A NATO representative confirmed that the Alliance recently shared some non-classified standards, including with the EU, and is working more closely with the defense industry.

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