Report: NATO urges European defense industry to increase investment.

Insiders said that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will next week urge major European defense companies to increase funding and expand military production capacity. Stoltenberg plans to meet with top executives of Europe's leading defense companies in Brussels to push for faster action and lay the groundwork for major initiatives to be announced at NATO's annual summit in Ankara in July. Major companies have already begun inquiring about large investment plans and capacity expansion, with a focus on areas such as air defense equipment and long-range missiles. Rheinmetall, Thales Group, Airbus, Saab, MBDA, Leonardo, and other defense giants will all send representatives to the meeting. Airbus said they will not comment on the specifics of the private, unofficial talks. Rheinmetall, MBDA, and Leonardo have all declined to comment. Thales Group and Saab have not yet responded to media requests for comment.