The EU can significantly improve its drone detection capabilities within a year, but it will take much longer to create a full-fledged network on land and at sea capable of tracking and destroying targets, said European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius to Euractiv, writes UNN.
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The idea of a so-called "drone wall" quickly gained popularity after a wave of Russian incursions into EU airspace in recent weeks. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made it one of the main statements in her State of the Union address in September.
We must understand that we do not have sufficient capabilities to detect drones. We may have good capabilities to detect fighter jets and missiles, but drones have a specificity: they fly very low and are small in size.
The first step is to "quickly" acquire detection systems, which, he said, is entirely possible.
According to experts, such a system could be ready "in about a year" to be prepared to repel Russian attacks and "provocations," he said.
Kubilius added that Europe needs to follow the example of the Ukrainian military, which has deployed acoustic sensors to detect approaching unmanned aerial vehicles that might otherwise not be detected by radar.
Lasers are another option with minimal cost for shooting down drones, he said. Such a defensive network must also cover the bloc's vast maritime borders, given the drone incursions into Norway and Denmark on Monday evening, Kubilius said during a Q&A session at the event.
Investigations into these latest incursions have not yet identified the culprit, with Danish police only stating that they were likely carried out by a "competent person."
However, Copenhagen was added to the list of those with whom the European Commissioner, along with states located on the EU's eastern border, will consult on the European Commission's drone defense plan.
A suitable detection system can be created quite quickly: "within about a year." But, he said, developing a system capable of tracking and destroying targets on the ground will take much longer.
Robert de Groot, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank responsible for defense and security, said that ways to channel funding to the bloc's eastern countries are being discussed as a priority.
He emphasized the importance of directing funds to build military bases and infrastructure, as well as to increase military mobility for moving tanks and troops.
"We need to move cargo from one end of Europe to the other, mainly from west to east, but also from north to south," de Groot stressed.
"Drone Wall" to protect the EU: what the project entails and Ukraine's role22.09.25, 12:32