NATO bolsters eastern flank with new anti-drone system to counter Russia

Poland and Romania are deploying a new American-made weapons system to defend against Russian drones, following a series of airspace incursions that have exposed NATO’s vulnerabilities and unsettled Europe.

The Merops system, small enough to fit in the back of a midsize pickup truck, can identify and intercept drones using artificial intelligence to navigate even when satellite and electronic communications are jammed. NATO officials said that the system will also be deployed in Denmark, part of a broader effort to strengthen defences along the alliance’s eastern flank, The Associated Press reports.

The move comes after around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace in early September, forcing multimillion-dollar jets to intercept drones costing only tens of thousands of dollars. Romania later faced a similar incursion, while drone sightings temporarily closed airports in Copenhagen, Munich, Berlin, and Brussels, and appeared near military bases in Belgium and Denmark.

“What this system does is give us very accurate detection,” said Col. Mark McLellan, assistant chief of staff operations at NATO Allied Land Command. “It’s able to target the drones and take them down and at a low cost as well. … It’s a lot cheaper than flying an F-35 into the air to take them down with a missile.”

Drones fly low and slow, often evading radar systems designed for high-speed missiles. The Merops system helps close those gaps, McLellan said, by “basically fly[ing] drones against drones” — either engaging directly or feeding targeting data to ground or air units.

Merops can protect both critical infrastructure and military forces in combat zones, said Brig. Gen. Thomas Lowin, NATO’s deputy chief of staff operations. Deployment has already begun in Poland and Romania, with Denmark acquiring the system next.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has invested in Merops, though both he and the company have declined interviews.

According to NATO officials, Merops represents the first phase in building an Eastern Flank Deterrence Line, a layered defensive network from Norway to Türkiye. “We see what Russia is doing in Ukraine,” said Brig. Gen. Zacarias Hernandez. “We have to be ready for that.”

By Vafa Guliyeva