Nato set to approve new military purchases as part of a defence spending hike

Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte, left, bangs a gavel to signify the start of a meeting of NATO defence ministers at Nato headquarters in Brussels (Virginia Mayo/AP)

Nato defence ministers are set to approve purchasing targets for stocking up on weapons and military equipment to better defend Europe, the Arctic and the North Atlantic, as part of a US push to ramp up security spending.

The “capability targets” lay out goals for each of the 32 nations to purchase priority equipment such as air defence systems, long-range missiles, artillery, ammunition, drones and “strategic enablers” such as air-to-air refuelling, heavy air transport and logistics.