On Wednesday and Thursday (17 and 18 April 2024) the Conference of National Armaments Directors (CNAD) met with representatives from Allied nations to address pressing challenges facing the armament sector.
Delegates met at NATO Headquarters to discuss raising defence production capacity, increasing interoperability and measuring the progress of existing Allied armaments programmes.
NATO's Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană joined the meeting and highlighted the steps taken by Allies to ramp up industrial production. Mr Geoană emphasised the importance of multinational procurement and underscored the urgency of increasing production capacity making clear Ukraine could rely on NATO support "today, tomorrow, and for the long haul."
At the Vilnius Summit in 2023, Allied leaders endorsed the Defence Production Action Plan which set out actions to enable NATO to strengthen its engagement with the defence industry. The CNAD plays an essential role in delivering the advanced capabilities needed for effective deterrence and defence.