New Delhi, July 6 -- We both grew up in the shadow of the cold war, when Europe was protected, watchful and invested in peace. "Never again" was the watchword for our generation. After centuries of conflict, Europe was shaped by the conviction that economic co-operation was essential for lasting peace.

When the monuments to a divided continent crumbled with the collapse of communism, the fear of war faded. Defence budgets shrank and our armed forces dwindled. Many of the defence industries that had supplied them were shuttered. Europe came to rely more heavily on America, through NATO, for the capabilities it would need if security was threatened.

Over time, many in Europe became accustomed to this arrangement and the outsourcing of man...