European Commission plans full functionality of "drone wall" by end of 2027 - media
Kyiv • UNN
The European Commission aims to launch a "drone wall" by the end of 2026, with full functionality expected by the end of 2027. This initiative is part of a roadmap aimed at preparing the bloc for a potential attack from Moscow.
"The drone wall", according to the draft roadmap of the European Commission on defense, should reach full functionality by the end of 2027, reported Rikard Jozwiak, editor of "Radio Free Europe" on European issues, in X, writes UNN.
According to the draft roadmap of the European Commission on defense, the "drone wall" should reach "initial capacity" by the end of 2026 and be fully functional by the end of 2027.
This, according to The Guardian, was also confirmed by AFP sources, according to which the EU insists that the new drone defense system be fully launched and operational by the end of 2027, as part of efforts to deter Russia.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first called for the creation of a "drone wall" to counter Moscow last month, hours after NATO planes shot down Russian drones in Poland.
Reportedly, the initial focus of the proposal was on strengthening the EU's eastern border states, but it has since been expanded after mysterious drones hit a number of countries further west.
Officials told AFP that Brussels wants the project, now called the "European Drone Defense Initiative," to "start operating by the end of 2026 and be fully operational by the end of 2027."
This initiative is one of several flagship EU projects that will be presented by the European Commission on Thursday as part of a roadmap aimed at preparing the bloc for a potential attack by Moscow by 2030. NATO planes shot down Russian drones in Poland.
EU defense ministers are expected to hold preliminary discussions on the roadmap on Wednesday evening, and officials want leaders to endorse it at next week's summit.