Politico: NATO allies seek broader powers for top commander to counter drones

NATO allies are moving to grant the alliance's top military commander greater authority to respond to drone incursions and other aerial threats, with a proposal expected to be approved at a leaders' summit next month, according to NATO diplomats and an alliance official.

The proposal would give NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich, increased flexibility to shift air defence assets across the alliance and adjust military alert levels without requiring formal approval from member states, Politico reports, citing sources.

The move comes as NATO countries face a growing number of security incidents involving drones and airspace violations along the alliance's eastern flank. Recent incidents have included drone incursions into Poland and Romania, airspace violations in Estonia and suspicious drone activity over Latvia, raising concerns among frontline allies.

Under current arrangements, NATO members retain control over how and where their military assets can be used, creating what some allies describe as a patchwork of national restrictions that can slow responses to emerging threats.

The proposal would also integrate NATO's ballistic missile defence systems more closely with its air policing missions, expanding their role in broader air defence operations across Eastern Europe and other regions.

Discussions on easing national restrictions have been underway since at least October, but gained momentum after Iranian ballistic missile launches toward Türkiye earlier this year underscored the need for a more coordinated alliance-wide response, the NATO official said.

“Nations are always looking to NATO when a drone enters their airspace,” the official added, but NATO also “needs nations to do their part” by dropping their restrictions.

According to the official, Grynkewich presented the proposals to ambassadors from NATO's 32 member states earlier this year.

By Aghakazim Guliyev