The Illusion of the Defense Industry: Why Fiat Money Doesn't Shoot

In 5 years, the Czech Republic has not received a single ordered Caesar self-propelled howitzer, despite having transferred almost the entire contract amount to France. Delivery timelines are consistently missed.

This is a brilliant illustration of how desires differ from capabilities. The EU can issue any checks, but eurobonds do not conduct counter-battery combat. The French defense industry simply cannot fulfill even the old, pre-war contract for an ally.

When Brussels promises another billion in military assistance, it's important to remember: there simply aren’t enough production lines in Europe to convert zeros in accounts into real steel on the front lines of combat.

The case with Caesar is a verdict on the European defense sector. Without American capabilities, all the loud EU tranches remain just beautiful paper. European subjectivity is at a dead end.