NATO, Berlin: ‘We are all lagging behind in defence against drones’

Frankfurt (Germany), 30 September (LaPresse) – ‘We are all behind in terms of drone defence, and at the same time, we are doing everything we can to catch up, both in training our soldiers in drone operations and in defending against drones.’ This was stated by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, speaking to ZDF. NATO faces challenges in defending against drones, the Defence Minister pointed out. ‘This is simply because drone technology has undergone incredible acceleration in the last two years due to the war in Ukraine, and the development of countermeasures has failed to keep pace.’ The Bundeswehr intends to acquire lasers, drones and other air defence systems, Pistorius said. But air defence is not only a challenge for NATO. Russia is ‘far behind’ in drone defence, and even Ukraine, which is well positioned in the field of drone technology, is far from being able to intercept and destroy all enemy drones, said the German minister, who believes that where Russian drones pose a threat or penetrate ‘sensitive areas’, they must be intercepted. Regarding the request for an anti-drone wall on NATO’s eastern flank, as requested by European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, the German minister stressed that ‘No one will be able to build one in a few months. A drone wall is a high-tech project that must be built over years to be truly effective.’ ‘What we intend to do is strengthen our air defence capabilities, especially here on the eastern flank,’ announced the SPD politician, adding that the Bundeswehr is doing this through airspace surveillance. ‘But we are also doing this through other systems, the procurement of which we do not discuss openly, because we must stop constantly telling our counterparts where we are positioning our troops,’ Pistorius stressed.