Bild: Shooting down Russian drones costs NATO €400,000 each

Using F-35 fighter jets to shoot down a single Russian drone that entered Polish territory cost NATO more than €400,000, while the drones themselves are worth only a few thousand euros, according to Bild.

The stark imbalance highlights the alliance’s growing challenge in defending its airspace after 25 Russian drones entered Polish territory on September 10. 

While some drones crashed on their own, three were intercepted by F-35 fighter jets using expensive AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. A fourth is still under investigation to determine whether it was destroyed or simply fell from the sky.

NATO has raised alert levels across its command centres, with personnel on duty around the clock, and deployed F-35s from the Netherlands and German Patriot missile systems to protect Polish airspace.

Experts warn that using high-end jets against low-cost drones is “militarily impractical.” A senior NATO officer said: “In the long term, deploying F-35s against drones is not sustainable.”

The alliance is exploring alternatives, including reinforcing the eastern flank, launching deterrence missions similar to “Baltic Sentry,” and adopting cheaper, more agile counter-drone measures like those used by Ukraine, such as sound sensors and armed pick-ups.

Germany remains particularly vulnerable. Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, Inspector of the German Army, called low-altitude drone threats “one of our biggest weaknesses,” noting that the Bundeswehr still lacks sufficient dedicated capabilities. Currently, soldiers rely on weapons not designed for air targets, such as the 30-millimetre guns on Puma infantry fighting vehicles.

Mais, who retires in October, warned: “We still do not have a continuous capability to counter aerial threats. This must be established as quickly as possible.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev