Modern defence is not ready to face autonomous warfare.

Modern armed forces face increasing difficulty maintaining constant combat readiness as they grapple with shrinking troop numbers, rising mission complexity, and overstretched personnel. High operational demands leave little time for rest or recovery, while limited access to realistic, scalable training environments hinders skill development and preparedness. As threats evolve faster than traditional systems can adapt, maintaining a state of readiness across diverse units becomes both logistically and financially unsustainable.

Modern defence operations often lack the resiliency needed to withstand the unpredictability of today’s conflicts. They depend heavily on centralized infrastructure—such as command centers, logistics hubs, and communication networks—that become critical points of failure under attack. This fragility limits operational continuity, slows response times, and increases the risks faced by personnel in high-pressure scenarios.

Non-autonomous legacy fleets were built for a different era—one where predictable engagements and static deployments were the norm. Today’s battlefield, however, demands speed, flexibility, and real-time decision-making. These older systems rely entirely on human operators, requiring constant attention, coordination, and manpower that could be used elsewhere. As modern conflicts evolve, legacy platforms are increasingly becoming a liability rather than an asset.

European defence forces frequently depend on non-European technologies for essential systems, components, and software — a reliance that introduces serious strategic and operational risks. Supply chains become fragile and unpredictable, especially during geopolitical tensions or export restrictions, delaying access to mission-critical equipment.In effect, this undermines Europe’s sovereignty in defense matters and weakens the resilience of its military infrastructure.