The final day of Counter-UAS Technology Europe concluded today, with sessions from across military, industry and government presented to attendees throughout the day.
Discussions offered insights into the various programs being developed and challenges being faced in the counter-drone world across the globe.
Drone Capability Coalition support
Brigadier Stu Nassé of British Army HQ opened the day’s core sessions by outlining the work of the Drone Capability Coalition, particularly its role in supporting Ukraine with the delivery of counter-UAS systems.
He highlighted ongoing efforts to coordinate international support and pointed to future priorities and initiatives.
C-UAS within integrated air and missile defense
Brigadier General Peter Gielen of the Dutch MoD explored how counter-UAS is increasingly being treated as an integral component of integrated air and missile defense. He emphasized that countering drones is no longer a niche capability, but part of a broader defensive framework alongside traditional air and missile threats.
His session also stressed the importance of cooperation and trust across Europe, as well as the role of civil society and industry in building resilience against air threats that cannot be fully mitigated by military systems alone.
Developing capabilities across the UK Armed Forces
A panel featuring representatives from the UK Joint Counter-UAS Office, the Experimentation and Trials Group and DSTL examined how counter-UAS capabilities are being developed and delivered across the British Armed Forces.
The discussion focused on supporting capability development across services, delivering solutions at scale and ensuring that future efforts remain aligned with operational requirements.
Operational lessons from Ukraine
Major Volodymyr Gorodnychyi provided operational insight from one of Ukraine’s most successful counter-drone brigades, detailing the challenges of countering systems such as Shahed drones and other enemy UAS.
Major Gorodnychyi fielded a range of questions from the audience, who were particularly interested to hear about the challenges and successes of the Brigade on the front lines.
Adapting to rapidly evolving threats
Richard Allen-Miles addressed the need for reconfigurable weapon systems, arguing that traditional procurement cycles struggle to keep pace with the speed of drone development.
He emphasized that fixed, single-mission systems risk becoming obsolete quickly, and that future counter-UAS capabilities must be adaptable at the operational level to remain effective.
Protecting critical infrastructure
Ori Marom of SAE Industry Technologies Consortiun and the Port of Rotterdam explored the challenges of defending vital infrastructure such as ports, airports and industrial hubs from drone threats.
He outlined the comprehensive drone and airspace management program the port has been working to develop in recent years.
Operating in domestic environments
The final panel, featuring Major Michel Koopman and 1st Lieutenant Nick Odijk of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, examined how to integrate both kinetic and non-kinetic countermeasures within domestic settings.
The discussion highlighted the challenges of operating in densely populated environments and the importance of safety, regulatory considerations and cross-agency collaboration in such conditions.
RELATED CONTENT: Highlights from day two of Counter UAS Technology Europe conference
Post Image Credit: U.S. Army
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