On the 17th local time, the European Commission announced that it will invest 1 billion euros in joint defense research and development under the 2026 European Defense Fund work plan. According to a communiqué issued by the European Commission on the same day, the investment plan will fund 31 cooperative research and development projects in key priority areas of member states, covering core defense capabilities, future technology, and defense innovation. Since its launch in 2021, the European Defense Fund has supported 224 projects with a total investment of around 4 billion euros.

On the 17th local time, the European Commission announced that it will invest 1 billion euros in joint defense research and development under the 2026 European Defense Fund work plan. According to a communiqué issued by the European Commission on the same day, the investment plan will fund 31 cooperative research and development projects in key priority areas of member states, covering core defense capabilities, future technology, and defense innovation. Since its launch in 2021, the European Defense Fund has supported 224 projects with a total investment of around 4 billion euros.