Saab president and chief executive Micael Johansson on Thursday said an EU plan to produce one million artillery shells a year was “realistic”, thanks in part to efforts made by the Swedish defence manufacturer to boost production.
Saab doubled its ammunitions production capacity before the war in Ukraine and is doubling it again, said Mr Johansson, speaking at a Brussels defence and security conference.
The company expects sales growth of 15 per cent this year as orders increase. Rising geopolitical tensions mean European countries are keen to restock their defence capacities after decades of peace.
Mr Johansson said his company alone would be able to produce 400,000 artillery rounds a year by early 2025.
“I think we have a fantastic defence industry in Europe,” he said. “It’s just that we need to collaborate a bit more, create ecosystems to be more sovereign within the EU and Europe.”
Speaking at the same forum, which was supported by the European Commission and the Belgian government, the bloc’s foreign and security chief Josep Borrell said the 27 member states would spend €70 billion ($76.5 billion) on increasing their defence capacities over the next three years.
“It’s quite a lot,” he said.
European politicians have expressed doubts about the bloc’s capacity to step up production quickly.
German MEP Christian Gahler has said that Europe's capacity was 300,000 shells a year. European Commission officials have declined to publicise the figure due to security concerns.
EU officials say they are responding to Ukraine's request for help as fast as they can, with joint-procurement plans to boost ammunition transfer to Ukraine at a cost of €1 billion and more recently, a proposal to use €500 million from the EU budget to increase ammunition production within the bloc.
Yet Mr Johansson said the EU was still lacking “real governance” and needed an authority that would be responsible for acquiring weapons. “We are working every day with [increased] capacity but how to access these projects is still a little uncertain,” he said.
Mr Johansson also criticised Europe’s continued reliance on the US in the defence sector and called for countries to raise their military spending goals from 2 per cent of GDP to 3 per cent of GDP.
Few members of the alliance achieve that goal but Nato is expected to raise that figure at a heads-of-government summit in Lithuania in July.
“There’s huge capacity for growth in some countries,” said Mr Johansson.
Europe has so far committed €16 billion of military support for Ukraine, according to Mr Borrell, through institutions in the bloc and on a bilateral basis. The US has committed $36.9 billion.
Mr Johansson recognised it was a sensitive time to highlight flaws in relations between the EU-US, historic allies that have rallied behind Ukraine to help it fend off Russia's invasion.
“I will put my neck out here but we are too dependent as the EU on the transatlantic link,” he said.
“If you look at the past four or five years, 60 per cent of defence capabilities and produce came from the US into Europe.”
Mr Borrell echoed Mr Johansson’s views, saying: “I was not a fan of [former US] President [Donald] Trump, but I think he was right on one thing: Europeans don’t share their part of the burden."
The US is also the number one contributor to Nato funds.
“Certainly, everybody prefers butter to cannons,” said Mr Borrell. “But sometimes if you don’t have cannons, you don’t have butter.”
Mr Borrell also addressed tense EU-China relations, which have recently come under intense scrutiny over a visit to France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
China has sought to present itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but Mr Borrell described Beijing's position as “pro-Russian neutrality”.
The EU must make diplomatic efforts to “not to push Russia in hands of China, and to ask China to use their influence to stop the war”, he said.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Results
2pm: Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m; Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m; Winner: Thegreatcollection, Adrie de Vries, Doug Watson.
4pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Oktalgano, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m; Winner: Madame Ellingtina, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Mystery Land, Fabrice Veron, Helal Al Alawi.
5.30pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m; Winner: Shanaghai City, Jesus Rosales, Rashed Bouresly.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)
Brighton v Arsenal (6pm)
West Ham v Wolves (8.30pm)
Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (10.45pm)
Sunday
Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)
Aston Villa v Chelsea (7.15pm)
Everton v Liverpool (10pm)
Monday
Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)
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Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
