Europe’s military presence in the Indo-Pacific has reached a post–Cold War high, but EU countries are undermining their geostrategic impact by acting in an uncoordinated manner, according to a new study.

France, which has territories in the Indo-Pacific, stands out as Europe’s primary military actor in the region, leading maritime deployments and accounting for a large share of naval cooperation.

The United Kingdom, which holds the British Indian Ocean Territory, also remains a key security provider through forward-deployed assets and long-standing regional arrangements.

Germany and Italy contribute to bilateral military deployments and partnerships in Northeast Asia, while Central and Eastern European countries, especially Poland and Czechia, focus on defence-industrial ties, including arms production and technology transfer. The Baltic states, notably Estonia, primarily focus on cybersecurity cooperation.

Roughly a quarter of all EU–Indo-Pacific cooperation agreements involve defence-industrial activity, but the lack of coordination often resulted in duplication and competition, with European defence firms bidding against each other in countries such as India or Indonesia, the study found.

Turkey’s presence in the region sharpens the problem, with Ankara pursuing an arms-export strategy targeting Southeast Asia and Pakistan, leveraging cultural ties alongside competitive pricing.

To act more cohesively, the study suggested creating an EU Indo-Pacific activity tracker and expanding partnerships beyond traditional partners such as India and Japan—especially with the Philippines, Malaysia, and Pacific Island states. It also recommended establishing an Indo-Pacific defence-industrial coordination mechanism, convened by DG DEFIS in coordination with the EEAS and the European Defence Agency.

“The message is clear: it requires more EU coordination to take European–Indo-Pacific relations to the next level,” Emschermann said.

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