On Monday, the European Commission proposed four key defense projects, including a drone wall to block Russian air aggression. UNN reports this with reference to Politico.
Details
The nine-page document was reportedly circulated among member states ahead of an informal meeting of EU leaders in Copenhagen on Wednesday, where they will discuss defense and ways to further support Ukraine.
According to Politico, leaders are expected to reach an agreement on political guidelines for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas, who have been asked to present a roadmap for strengthening EU defense at another leaders' summit later in October.
In addition to the drone wall, the document mentions three other projects:
- "Eastern Flank Observation," aimed at detecting threats ranging from hybrid operations to drone incursions;
- "Air Defense Shield" - a joint project of the EU and other European countries to strengthen air and missile defense capabilities;
- "Defense Space Shields," aimed at maintaining the bloc's competitiveness in space for monitoring threats.
The leaders' meeting followed airspace violations in Poland, Romania, Denmark, and Norway in recent weeks, and Russian aircraft entering Estonian territory. Because of this, according to the Commission, the creation of a drone wall and eastern flank observation "require particular urgency and should be immediately advanced."
To receive EU money, all projects require unanimous approval, meaning that countries far from the Russian threat will need to be convinced to spend the money. The projects will be open to all member states and can be at least partially funded by the €1.5 billion European Defense Industrial Program, which is still under negotiation
It is noted that the document did not provide financial details regarding the funding needed to create the drone wall, which the Commission described as a "multi-layered, deep zone of technologically advanced systems with compatible counter-drone capabilities for detection, tracking, and neutralization."
The document does not state when the drone wall will be ready, but notes that by next spring, the Commission and Kallas "will agree with participating member states and other EU entities, including the European Defense Agency, on an appropriate coordination arrangement."
Politico indicates that there are concerns about the feasibility of this scheme, as German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Monday questioned the rapid timeline proposed by Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.
Regarding the "Eastern Flank Control" program, the Commission stated that "it will be financed from various sources, both national and EU."
Each project will be included in the annual defense readiness report, aimed at regularly updating information on the implementation of the roadmap
Addition
Bloomberg reported that European Union leaders will gather in Copenhagen this week to discuss new defense projects, including the creation of a "European drone wall" and a pan-European air defense shield.
President Zelenskyy proposed to Poland and partners to create a joint shield against Russian air threats, citing Ukraine's experience. He also noted that Russia could have used tankers in the Baltic Sea to launch drones.
In general, the "drone wall" project is based on a "multi-layered drone defense system" called Eirshield, an anti-drone platform developed as part of a joint partnership between the Estonian company DefSecIntel and the Latvian Origin Robotics.