Bloomberg: Europe unprepared for drone warfare threats

European countries are facing insufficient preparedness to counter modern threats posed by unmanned aerial systems, according to Bloomberg.

The crash of a Russian drone into a Romanian apartment building on Friday, May 29, laid bare Europe’s lack of preparedness in confronting modern aerial warfare even as fighting rages across the border in Ukraine for a fifth year.

Mircea Geoana, former NATO Deputy Secretary General, condemned in a Facebook post the “inadequacy of sensor and interceptor systems” in Romania as well as across the broader eastern flank.

“The delays in learning the lessons over the past four years and the lack of military and technological equipment,” Geoana said, “create a vulnerability that must be removed without delay in the country and at the allied level.”

The article notes that drone incidents on NATO’s eastern flank have become almost routine. Since 2022, Romania alone has recorded 47 such cases, while Poland triggered NATO Article 4 consultations after more than a dozen drones crossed its border.

Low-altitude drones are said to be capable of evading traditional radar systems, while the use of fighter jets and surface-to-air missiles against such targets remains costly and not always effective.

Against this backdrop, countries in the region are accelerating procurement of counter-drone systems, including radars, detection tools, interceptor drones, and electronic warfare equipment.

By Jeyhun Aghazada