Buying weapons together (or not) : joint defence acquisition and parallel arms procurement

After many years of underinvestment in defence, EU Member States are rearming, but much criticism has been levelled at the slow pace. Many argue that more European cooperation on defence acquisition and arms procurement would not only make buying arms faster and cheaper, but also strengthen the European defence industrial base by consolidating demand. But why are EU Member States buying so few weapons together, and is buying together always better? While the track record is mixed, there may in fact be more European armaments cooperation than is often believed. These can be categorised in a typology of at least six different options for collaboration. By acknowledging the variety of collaboration, focusing on the desired outcomes rather than processes, and using existing tools and structures, the EU and its Member States may be able to better collaborate on defence acquisition and arms procurement, where and how it makes most sense.