NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called for closer cooperation with defence companies during a visit to Airbus in Toulouse on 1 July.
Rutte met Airbus chief executive Guillaume Faury, addressed company leaders and visited the A321 assembly line. He highlighted the company's A400M transport aircraft and A330 tanker as examples of equipment used by NATO members.
The visit followed the Hague Summit agreement to raise defence and security investment to 5 percent of gross domestic product by 2035. Rutte said higher spending would require companies to develop equipment faster and increase production.