The European Commission has proposed a pan-European initiative to create an AI-based drone detection system using advanced 5G radio antennas, aimed at protecting airports, military facilities, and other critical infrastructure. This was reported by Euractiv, writes UNN.
Details
The move comes in response to a series of drone incursions near military facilities in several EU countries and repeated disruptions at civilian airports, prompting EU Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty Henna Virkkunen to present the EU Drone and Counter-Drone Action Plan on Wednesday.
The plan envisages public-private partnerships to develop sovereign European technologies capable of detecting and responding to aerial threats—technologies that EU countries have not yet fully mastered.
As early as September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to create a large-scale anti-drone "drone wall" along the EU's eastern border with Russia.
The current initiative is seen as a civilian complement to this defense project and involves expanding drone monitoring to critical infrastructure facilities across the EU.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of a call for applications scheduled for the second quarter of 2026, Virkkunen stated that "Europe must develop its own solutions" to strengthen its sovereignty and security.
According to the action plan, next-generation 5G radio antennas—which are not yet widely deployed in Europe—can be configured as radars capable of determining the spatial location of unknown flying objects, including drones and balloons.
Such systems will complement existing military air surveillance networks rather than replace them.
The Commission plans to launch a call for applications to develop "sovereign European AI-based command and control systems."
The initiative will bring together EU executive bodies, national defense ministries, and industry in a coordinated effort—following the model of previous joint calls for the creation of strategic AI training centers.
Ukraine will also be invited to participate, allowing the EU to "learn lessons" from its military experience, Virkkunen noted.
Networks with sensing capabilities
A key element of the proposal is integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) technology, which is currently being tested in research laboratories.
Implementing ISAC in 5G networks will require directing a portion of the electrical current used by antennas to emit additional radio waves capable of detecting objects moving within the coverage area, a senior EU official told Euractiv.
The goal is to detect drones that do not operate on standard 5G networks, do not use registered SIM cards, and are not associated with operators registered with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
In the future, 6G networks may integrate sensing functions directly into the radio infrastructure by default, the action plan states.
Reducing dependence on foreign technologies
The same EU officials suggested that the system would allow the European Union to create a competitive product to solutions from American companies such as Palantir, whose AI-based drone detection software is used in Ukraine to counter Russian attacks.
In strengthening its response to growing drone threats, the Commission emphasizes that the EU can build on key industrial advantages. Officials told Euractiv that European telecommunications equipment manufacturers Ericsson and Nokia are at the forefront of developing ISAC technology.
They also noted the presence of world-leading AI model training centers in the EU, which can be used to create foundational artificial intelligence systems.
As part of the action plan, the Commission is also considering regulatory changes to adapt to a more hostile security environment.
The recently proposed Digital Networks Act (DNA) will allow future EU radio spectrum allocation strategies to reserve separate spectrum for drone detection—integrating security functions directly into the European Union's telecommunications system.