Europeanโ Air Defenses Scrambled as Russia โขEmploys Low-Cost โDrones, Sparks Countermeasure โRace
BRUSSELS – European nations are urgently developing defenses against a growing threat: swarms of inexpensive, commercially available drones deployed โby Russia, highlighted by recent airspace incursions and large-scale military exercises. the escalating situation โคisโค forcing a re-evaluation of customary procurement strategies focused onโค expensive, โฃhigh-tech weaponry.
The increasing use of drones by Russia, demonstrated by recent violationsโ of Polish airspace and anticipated during theโข ongoing “Zapad 2025″ joint military exerciseโ with Belarus, is exposing vulnerabilities in existing European airโฃ defense networks. “Itโ is a problem that has been pointed out for a long time to preventโข cheap drones with expensive weapons,” noted Charleyโค Salonius-Pasternak of the Nordic โฃWest Office.
In response, countries are accelerating countermeasure advancement. sweden’s Saab unveiled the ‘Nimbrix‘ drone โinterceptor missile in August, while France’s defense agency has commissioned the development โof laser-based interceptors.However, experts caution that relying solely on large defense contractors โคand traditional procurement โฃmethods may be insufficient to address the rapidly evolving threat.
Former French Chairman โขThierry Wurkar argued forโ aโข more agile โคapproach, stating, “Some equipmentโ can be efficient to buy a short time and โขpower it promptly, rather than considering maintenance for decades.” This suggests aโ shift towards readily available, rapidly โdeployable solutionsโ over long-term, complex defense systems.
“Zapad 2025,” โa quadrennial joint exercise between Russia and Belarus, began September 12th and will continueโข through September 16th, encompassing training grounds in Russia, Belarus, and the Baltic andโค Barents Seas. The Russian Defense Ministry stated the exercise aims to assessโข the combat readiness of forces simulating a local invasion scenario.Belarusian Defense Secretary Victor Hwenin previously announced the drills would include nuclear weapons and the introduction of Russian mid-range ballistic missiles,โ following the deployment โฃof โtactical nuclear weapons to Belarus in 2023.
Western nations are closely monitoringโค the exercise, recalling that the 2021 “Zapad” drills wereโค viewed as a precursor to Russia’s invasionโค of Ukraine in febuaryโ 2022.Poland has respondedโ to heightened tensions by indefinitely closing its border with Belarus, while Latvia and lithuania โhaveโค increased border security and restricted airspace. Poland has also closed two border checkpoints, halting road and rail traffic, including freight trains.