“We lack the effective possibilities of detecting drones. This is a serious gap in our defense” – said Andrius Kubilius during a debate organized on Wednesday in Brussels by the Euractiv portal. He emphasized that the problem is the specificity of the drones: they fly low, they are small and difficult to detect by traditional radar systems.
Kubilius pointed out that Europe should learn from Ukraine how to effectively monitor the airspace. The Ukrainian army successfully uses acoustic sensors to detect approaching drones. “Without such technologies, drones can remain invisible to radars,” he added.
The Commissioner also proposed the use of lasers as a cost -effective solution to neutralize drones. “Such a defensive network must include not only the land, but also the extensive sea borders of the European Union,” Kubilius noted, referring to recent drone attacks on Norway and Denmark.
Video conference involving eight EU countries
This Friday, Kubilius will organize a video conference with representatives of eight EU countries, which are located on the borders of the block. The meeting will be attended by, among others Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. After the incident with drones around the Copenhagen airport, Denmark also received the invitation. A representative of Ukraine is also to participate in the talks.
The purpose of the meeting will be to determine the needs and possibilities related to drone protection. The European Commission is considering using funds from the new SAFE loan instrument for the construction of a “drone wall”. These funds are to be available to all conjunction countries.
Growing drone threat
In the context of increasingly frequent incidents involving drones, both in Europe and in the world, the implementation of effective detection systems is becoming a priority for the EU. As experts emphasize, the construction of a “drone wall” can significantly increase safety in the region and reduce the risk of provocation and attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles.
