NATO allies develop new drone forces and cost-effective anti-drone defenses

NATO allies are shifting military strategies to address the rising threat of low-cost drone warfare. Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, reports that four NATO countries are currently planning the establishment of their own dedicated Unmanned Systems Forces, though these efforts have not yet been publicly announced.

To address the economic imbalance of using expensive fighter jets and air-to-air missiles to intercept cheap drones, Latvia is constructing an automated anti-drone wall along its eastern border with Russia. Latvian Defense Minister Raivis Melnis stated the system, inspired by Ukrainian tactics, is intended to be completed by late September. The goal is to create a “cheap but reliable system” that neutralizes drones before they require the intervention of secondary defenses like fighter jets.

This shift follows concerns from NATO leadership regarding the sustainability of current interception methods. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has previously noted that the alliance must find interception techniques that match the low cost of the drones themselves to avoid unsustainable defense expenditures.