NATO concluded large-scale drone defense exercises this week, marking Ukraine’s first participation aimed at urgently learning from the rapid developments and extreme use of drones in the ongoing war.
Held at a military base in the Netherlands, the exercises involved over 20 countries and around 50 companies testing cutting-edge technology for detecting and neutralizing drones.
The 11-day drills culminated in an exercise focused on drone detection and interception during a week that again showcased their pivotal role in the conflict. On Wednesday, a significant Ukrainian drone attack caused a massive explosion in a large arms depot in Russia. The following day, President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow had increased drone production to nearly 1.4 million this year.
The rising use of drones for targeting and battlefield surveillance has prompted NATO to refocus on the threats they pose to the alliance.
“NATO takes this threat very, very seriously,” said Matt Roper, head of the Joint Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Centre at the alliance’s technology agency. “This is not something we can ignore,” he added during the exercises in eastern Netherlands.
Experts have warned NATO that it must quickly adapt to the challenges posed by war drones. “NATO has very few drones for high-intensity warfare against an enemy,” stated a report from the European Centre for Political Analysis last September. “It would face significant challenges in deploying the drones it possesses in a contested environment.”