Goodbye to peace: Satellite images have been published and everything is clear - they arm themselves PHOTO

Construction activities at weapons production sites have accelerated dramatically since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the long-heralded revival of European defense, fueled by public subsidies, is now materializing not only in political speeches, but also in concrete and steel, writes the Financial Times, as reported by Index.

The trend comes at a time when European Union governments face the challenges of maintaining arms supplies to Kyiv and replenishing their own stockpiles, especially in light of a potentially shaky US commitment to European security.

"Profound and structural changes"

Using data from more than 1,000 passes by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 radar satellite, the Financial Times tracked changes at 150 sites belonging to 37 companies specializing in the production of ammunition and missiles - two key areas where the West is trotting in support of Ukraine.

The data suggests that around a third of the sites surveyed show signs of expansion or new construction work.

The scale and spread of these works indicate a generational shift in armaments, but also that Europe is abandoning the peacetime model of "just-in-time" production and building an industrial base for longer-term war readiness.

"These are deep and structural changes that will transform the defense industry in the medium and long term," said William Alberque, former director of arms control at NATO.

"Once you mass-produce shells, the metals and explosives start to flow, which reduces the cost and complexity of producing missiles."

Leading examples of expansion

The analysis showed that the areas with visible changes increased from 790,000 square meters in the period 2020-21, to as much as 2.8 million square meters in 2024-25.

Among the locations with the largest expansion, the joint project of the German defense giant "Rheinmetall" and the Hungarian state company "N7 Holding" stands out.

The first factory in Hungary was completed in July 2024 and produces ammunition for infantry fighting vehicles.

Construction continues, and the site will also produce 155mm artillery shells, as well as ammunition for Leopard 2 tanks.

The analysis also included 88 locations associated with the EU program, the Law on Support and Production of Ammunition (ASAP), which boosted the production of ammunition and missiles with 500 million euros.

The data shows that companies that received ASAP funds expanded faster than others.

A clear physical expansion is visible in the 20 locations funded by that program.

However, despite the numbers, officials warn that actual production is likely to be well below potential capacity.

In addition, experts point out that long-range strike capabilities remain a serious problem for Europe.

The Financial Times also states that it checked each location using optical satellite images to confirm the findings of the radar analysis.