Europe is catching up at an accelerated pace in the development of drone and anti-drone systems. EU funds are increasingly going to the arms sector for this purpose as well. The European Parliament called in its January resolution to treat drones as a key element of modern defense and to build supply chains within the EU. For now, the challenge remains the dependence on imports of components from third countries and the dynamic pace of technology changes, as shown by Ukraine's experience.
– Drones should be treated as an essential tool on the battlefield. Europe has slept through this moment in terms of the use of drones. We treated drones as a kind of technological innovation, sometimes as a toy, and today it is a powerful fighting tool in the hands of opponents, says Marta Wcisło, Member of the European Parliament from the Civic Coalition, to the Newseria agency. – Drones are cheap, fast, precise and do not involve the human factor. They can be controlled from a distance of several thousand kilometers. They can also provide help. A small drone that can cost anywhere from a thousand to several thousand dollars can destroy an object worth millions.
The resolution adopted by the European Parliament on January 22, 2026 emphasized that drones and unmanned systems have become a fundamental element of modern conflicts, therefore they require inclusion in the EU defense strategy. MEPs point out the need to adapt defense structures and industry to these challenges.
– Europe has great technological capabilities, but unfortunately we do not have the latter, i.e. operational capabilities. The biggest gap in our operations is our dependence on components from outside the European Union, especially from China. These are engines, these are navigation systems and there is a lot to do here – points out Marta Wcisło.
The resolution emphasizes that 60 percent drone components come from the United States and China. Companies from the Middle Kingdom produce most of the components needed to assemble drones, such as semiconductors, power transistors, magnets, batteries and navigation chips. Therefore, MEPs call for the repatriation of the production of drone systems to avoid disproportionate dependence on third countries. In their opinion, all drone platforms financed by European programs or financial instruments should meet appropriate criteria regarding the origin of main components from the EU (or from partner countries such as Ukraine, Norway or the United Kingdom).
MEPs also raised the issue of China's announcement on October 9, 2025, of extensive controls on the export of rare earth elements and related processing technologies. In their opinion, this makes the entire EU drone sector dependent on Beijing's decisions. They therefore emphasize the need to address the EU's critical dependence on Chinese rare earth metals, including: establishing alternative and sustainable locations for their extraction and processing.
– Another issue that is being discussed in Europe and in the industry is the storage of ready-made systems or ready-made drones. Drones are like mobile phones. Technologies are changing at a rapid pace, so we cannot stock ready-made, fully armed drones, emphasizes the MEP from KO.
The resolution emphasized that it is necessary to ensure continuous adaptation of the systems being developed to technological changes, as well as regular cycles of their modernization and improvement. Additionally, attention was paid to the development of interoperability of systems between EU countries and allies.
– We already have a lot of opportunities when it comes to drone technologies. It is financed by both private, national and European funds. This is where the Copernican revolution took place in the European Union, thanks to Poland. We managed to achieve what was unthinkable in the EU two years ago, i.e., the broadly understood defense can be financed from the EU budget – says Krzysztof Hetman, Member of the European Parliament from the Polish People's Party.
The resolution refers to many EU instruments, including: the future EU budget, the Competitiveness Fund or defense programs, emphasizing that they must support research, development and production of autonomous systems in Europe. It is intended to serve this purpose, among others. the SAFE loan program adopted in May 2025, which is intended to enable urgent and large investments for the European arms industry. Its pool included EUR 150 billion. The European Commission has already approved Poland's application, which means that 139 projects will receive approximately EUR 44 billion from the common pool. These funds will be able to be used, among others, for: for drones and anti-drone systems.
The first agreement of this type was signed on Friday, January 30, between the Armament Agency and the consortium of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace. The Polish company Advanced Protection Systems, which is a subcontractor, will provide battery modules for anti-aircraft systems with the ability to combat unmanned aerial systems as part of the contract. The value of the order is approximately PLN 15 billion net, and most of the funds will come from the EU SAFE program.
– The Minister of National Defense has already established drone troops in Poland. We are investing very heavily in this area, both in terms of State Treasury companies and private companies, so we are certainly in a much better situation than two years ago, says Krzysztof Hetman.
The announced SAN anti-drone system is to be the largest and most modern solution of this type in Europe. It consists of 18 batteries of anti-drone systems, 52 fire platoons, 18 command platoons and 703 vehicles.
– We must have a synchronized anti-drone system on many levels, because we do not know what type of drones we may be attacked with – says Marta Wcisło. – The development of drones and autonomous systems has a very significant impact on the safety of civilians and critical infrastructure, because drones can also perform defensive and reconnaissance functions. Russian drones that monitor Ukrainian areas and attack civilians are extremely dangerous instruments today.
The European Parliament resolution refers to strategic partnerships, including with NATO and Ukraine, on the integration of drone systems and counter-drone systems. According to MEPs, cooperation with Ukraine in this area should be deepened, including: through exchange of experiences and technological support.
– If we are to draw any experience from anywhere, it is from the use of this type of weapon by the Russians and Ukrainians. The latter have extraordinary experiences in this area and share them. We take advantage of this, says Krzysztof Hetman.
