The European Commission plans to expand its proposed “drone wall” along the EU’s eastern flank into a continent-wide defense network designed to counter hostile drones, according to officials cited by Reuters.
The new European Drone Defence Initiative will form part of a broader defence readiness roadmap set to be unveiled on Thursday by the Commission. The project aims to establish a coordinated anti-drone network of sensors, jamming systems and interceptor weapons stretching across the EU to protect against incursions similar to those recently seen along NATO’s eastern border.
The original “drone wall” concept was introduced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after roughly 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace last month. The proposal initially focused on building a defensive line from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, but drew criticism from southern and western member states who argued it overlooked threats elsewhere in Europe.
Eastern European nations welcomed the plan as a long-needed measure against Russian drone activity, while others called for a comprehensive strategy covering the entire continent.
European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius appeared to confirm the forthcoming expansion during remarks made in Brussels:
“We propose the European drone wall, [a] European Drone Defence Initiative, an anti-drone network to protect all Europe, and other defence flagship projects,” he said
The initiative highlights a growing recognition in Brussels that drone warfare and airspace incursions represent a pan-European challenge requiring unified detection and response capabilities.
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