Euractiv: NATO to integrate drones into forces along Russian border

NATO plans to integrate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into its forces stationed along the alliance’s eastern flank by the middle of 2026, according to Euractiv.

Major General Constantin-Adrian Ciolponea, the European representative of NATO’s Allied Command Transformation, said that integrating drones into the alliance’s structure is essential, with the first results expected by the next NATO summit in Ankara in July 2026.

NATO member states will begin extensive testing of drones and counter-drone systems from early 2026, before incorporating them into operational units, primarily those deployed along the eastern flank.

Cholponya added that NATO aims to make drones a systemic component of the alliance’s air defence network, particularly within the framework of NATO’s Eastern Sentinel operation, which focuses on countering unmanned aerial threats in alliance airspace.

He warned that without such integration, NATO forces could face a cocktail of deadly drone attacks, although the origin of these potential threats was not specified.

By Aghakazim Guliyev