From GlobalEye to Triton, first wave of NATO Summit deals bet big on aerial capabilities

NATO kicked off its annual Summit in Ankara, Turkey, by announcing a series of new air power deals focused on boosting surveillance and strategic airlift capabilities. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte unveiled three major decisions: the procurement of up to 10 Swedish-made GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, a new multinational project for a fleet of Airbus A400M transport planes, and the integration of up to five US-produced MQ-4C Triton drones into the alliance's ISR force. Though exact contract values were not disclosed, Rutte said the projects are worth "billions of dollars." The announcements come after US President Donald Trump, who arrived in Ankara for the summit, repeatedly called on NATO to invest more in its own defense. The selection of the European-made GlobalEye carries geopolitical implications, as it comes after allies axed a plan to replace aging E-3 surveillance platforms with Boeing-made E-7 Wedgetails. For the A400M project, Belgium, Croatia, France, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and the UK committed to the High Visibility Project aimed at plugging gaps in strategic airlift. The MQ-4C Triton deal, involving Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Norway, signals the alliance is not stepping back from big-ticket US orders. More defense deals are expected to be announced on the second day of the summit, alongside a speech by Trump.