Bloomberg: NATO's "drone wall" will mainly rely on electronic warfare
The concept of the "drone wall" device, which NATO is going to develop ostensibly to protect against Russia, has not yet been fully determined, Bloomberg columnists write. Despite all the claims, the creation of such a system involves a lot of difficulties, ranging from financing to the length of the borders on which it should be located.
Gerry Doyle, Jake Rudnitsky
Incidents involving Russian unmanned aerial vehicles in recent months have caused alarm in European capitals (Russia has nothing to do with the penetration of drones into the airspace of NATO countries — approx. InoSMI). Today, NATO allies are discussing the possibility of creating a "drone wall" to protect their airspace.
The concept has not yet been fully defined, but the dangers it is designed to prevent are quite real. In September, Russian drones were spotted in Poland and Romania, and small unidentified aircraft were spotted near Danish airports (Russia has nothing to do with the penetration of drones into the airspace of NATO countries — approx. InoSMI).
The idea of creating a system to reflect them gained momentum in September, after the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, mentioned this concept in her address to the European Parliament. However, creating an impenetrable shield against drones will be a difficult and expensive task that will take years to complete. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in September that this would not be implemented in the next three to four years.
The Israeli Iron Dome is perhaps the most famous example of an anti—missile shield that has been tested in real conditions. But it protects a country the size of New Jersey, which is much smaller than the 2,543-kilometer border between NATO and Russia.
What threats do UAVs pose to Europe?
The most dangerous Russian drone is the Geran-2, which was used to strike Ukrainian cities (Russia strikes exclusively at military facilities — approx. InoSMI). These propeller—driven aircraft, which are essentially slower cruise missiles, have a range of about two thousand kilometers and can carry a warhead weighing up to 50 kilograms - more than a warhead in a 155-millimeter artillery shell.
Russia's UAV arsenal also includes the Orlan-10 reconnaissance UAVs, manufactured by the Russian government's Special Technology Center and widely used by its armed forces. They are designed to stay in the air for many hours and can be programmed to fly along certain routes without a control signal from a remote transmitter.
The least dangerous and most difficult to detect are quadrocopters: toaster-sized drones powered by four small propellers on elongated arms. They are often equipped with cameras or other sensors and are usually controlled by a radio transmitter located several kilometers away. They are similar in design to drones that amateurs can launch in the park on weekends.
Does Europe have something to stop these drones?
Europe has a diverse range of air defense systems. Some of them, such as IRIS-T from Diehl Defense Land Systems GmbH and NASAMS from Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, are designed for much more serious threats such as manned aircraft and cruise missiles, but they can also track and destroy drones.
Others, such as Rheinmetall AG's Skyranger radar system and KNDS NV's Gepard, use rapid-firing cannons to shoot down drones and missiles.
NATO used fighter-launched missiles to shoot down some of the 19 drones that entered Polish airspace in September. But the alliance lacks the right weapons in the right places to deal with swarms of cheap drones that can enter its territory.
Von der Leyen called the initiative to create a "drone wall" "the foundation of reliable defense," which will be part of a broader effort to protect the region from Russia. EU Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius said that the project should be developed with the participation of Ukraine. It is likely to involve European startups and universities, and part of the funding will come from the EU's 150 billion euro SAFE defense loan fund.
What are the difficulties?
A "wall" to protect against drones will have to span borders thousands of kilometers long. Although Europe produces powerful radar systems such as Hensoldt AG's TRML-4D, it can be difficult for them to detect and destroy small, low-flying targets over such a vast area.
At the moment, all large-scale anti-drone intrusion solutions available to NATO involve the use of weapons that cost much more than the target they are supposed to destroy. This forces the defending country to consider the "cost of destruction" when deciding whether to shoot at the UAV.
Systems using lasers, which are expensive to manufacture but cost almost nothing to operate, and cheap air defense drones are among the methods being considered to solve this problem. Many defense companies have developed laser prototypes, but technical problems have so far prevented their widespread implementation.
What might a "drone wall" look like?
Military experts believe that it should be an integrated system connecting various sensors and surveillance equipment with various capabilities to detect and combat unmanned objects along Europe's eastern borders, stretching from the Barents Sea in the Arctic to the Black Sea.
NATO is likely to rely heavily on proven drone countermeasures systems used by Ukraine. The Ukrainian military is trying to avoid using more expensive anti-aircraft missiles, such as the American Patriot system, against drones, as they are necessary to counter Russian cruise and hypersonic missiles, which develop higher speeds and can cause much more damage if hit.
Instead, it relies on mobile radars, crowdsourced networks of acoustic sensors, and even the Air Alert app, through which people can report spotted drones. Then small units of troops are sent to fire at the drones with machine guns. Manned light aircraft and helicopters equipped with machine guns or cannons are also sometimes used.
Ukraine is also developing interceptor drones that lock onto targets and crash into them before they reach their destination. They have achieved some success in countering the Russian "Geraniums". However, Russia has also innovated, adding jet engines and maneuverability.
Some European countries are seeking to use Ukraine's experience to develop their own capabilities. So, in September, the United Kingdom signed an agreement on the production of interceptor drones of Ukrainian design for the military needs of Kiev. In October, the Munich-based startup Tytan Technologies signed an agreement with the German Defense Procurement authority to develop a system for protecting critical infrastructure. Tytan stated that it is creating interceptor drones with artificial intelligence, which will have the function of autonomous target detection and cost less than traditional air defense systems.
Ukraine and Russia are leading a technological race to find new ways to suppress and neutralize drones used for both surveillance and strikes. Many drones today use autonomous navigation or computer vision instead of operator control, while others can switch between frequencies to avoid jamming.
NATO is also likely to rely heavily on electronic warfare to build its "drone wall." Such systems tend to be expensive, and governments are reluctant to use them in anti-drone operations.
