Powder metallurgy and powder-based metal additive manufacturing have become a practical test of European defence readiness, because they shape whether production can scale and sustainment can be maintained under disruption. This analysis frames GKN Powder Metallurgy not as a prime contractor, but as an enabling industrial node whose relevance depends on materials continuity, process discipline, and the ability to industrialise routes such as laser powder bed fusion and binder jetting at predictable quality. The central question is not whether the company is publicly linked to specific European capability programmes, but whether its verifiable footprint can reduce manufacturing bottlenecks while remaining compatible with NATO interoperability requirements and the EU de-risking perimeter, given its transatlantic ownership context.