The Marshall Center concluded its European-Led Defense course, designed to help participants develop a comprehensive approach to European security and Europe assuming greater responsibility for its conventional defense.

Over the course of four weeks, nearly 120 participants representing 28 nations took part in the resident course alongside 53 presenters bringing expertise from across government, academia, industry, and the security sector. 23 of the presenters were Marshall Center faculty and staff, with the remaining 30 contributing outside perspectives and operational experience.

“Strategy without capability does not deter, and investment without delivery does not defend,” said Kay Brinkmann, Marshall Center German deputy director. “This perfectly describes the course’s spirit, delivering outcomes-oriented education on the strategic environment, integrating the Defense Industrial Base, aligning institutions and partners, and advancing solutions that support European-led security.”

The course introduced several firsts under the redesigned program plan, most notably a weeklong module dedicated exclusively to the Defense Industrial Base. The emphasis on EU–NATO cooperation during Week 3, held in collaboration with the European Security and Defence College and the Cyprus Security and Defence Academy, further reinforced the course’s focus on aligning institutions, industry, and partners in support of European-led security.

“The principles of burden sharing are understood in the European community; the difficulty is implementation,” said said Sebastian von Münchow, Ph.D., course lead. “The details matter, but what matters more is that there is a strategic European vision, and you leave here better prepared to develop and implement that vision.”

The multinational character of the course extended beyond participants alone, including a Slovenian delegation representing the Slovenian Armed Forces’ General Staff Course and various government institutions during Week 1, and a Romanian delegation representing the Romanian National Defence College during Week 2. Seminar leaders supporting Module 3 further demonstrated the importance of European nations contributing expertise, perspectives, and institutional support to advance these discussions.

“It is really important for us because it’s a great chance for expertise exchange and good practices,” said Romanian Col. Marius-Silviu Tofan, head of the Romanian National Defence College. “I consider myself really fortunate to be part of such a great and outstanding academic network. Allowing our students to interact with participants from other countries, to get in contact with new ideas and new perspectives, is one of the key reasons we come to the Marshall Center.”

The course’s focus on deterrence and defense-industrial cooperation also extended to continued discussions related to Ukraine. Participants heard from Amb. Oleksii Makeiev, Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany, whose remarks built upon themes explored during the Defense Industrial Base In-Region Workshop in Munich. Focused on lessons from Ukraine and the growing Ukrainian-German partnership, the discussion reinforced how support to and partnership with Ukraine is also strengthening broader European security through industrial cooperation, battlefield lessons learned, and enhanced collective deterrence and defense.

The course was designed to better prepare participants to develop practical approaches within their own nations and organizations. Through plenary sessions, seminars, and direct engagement with practitioners and decision-makers, participants leave with stronger networks, greater shared understanding, and a clearer view of the coordination required to advance European-led defense.

“The level of discussion was consistently high, addressing issues of real strategic relevance,” said Giuseppe Mariano, logistics enablement analyst at NATO SHAPE. “I had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of European defense dynamics, particularly the link between military mobility, deterrence, and EU-NATO cooperation.

“Equally important, it was a strong moment of professional growth, and an excellent opportunity to build a trusted international network.”