Cheap Russian drones, built from wood and foam, invaded Polish airspace this week and were shot down with multimillion-dollar weapon systems. This highlights NATO’s lack of preparedness for such threats.
At least 19 drones entered Poland on Wednesday, representing „a political and military test from Russia,” as stated by Ulrike Franke, a senior researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations. „It’s very good that Poland detected and shot down the drones,” Franke pointed out in an analysis for Politico.
But NATO's response was much less effective than Ukraine's usual reactions. The Alliance shot down three drones, while Kiev, despite much larger attacks, usually maintains an interception rate of 80-90%.
Franke added that there is a major discrepancy between Russia's cheap equipment and NATO's costly military response: "What are we going to do, send F-16s and F-35s every time? It's not sustainable. We need to equip ourselves better with anti-drone systems."
Cheap Drones, Extremely Costly Response
According to Die Welt, five drones were on a direct trajectory towards a NATO base before being intercepted by Dutch F-35 Lockheed Martin fighter jets.
The operation also involved a NATO refueling aircraft, an Italian surveillance plane, and a German Patriot anti-aircraft defense system.
Billions of dollars' worth of equipment were mobilized against cheap Russian Gerbera drones - copies of Iranian Shahed drones, produced at an estimated cost of $10,000 each.
However, this cheap intrusion triggered a very high-level response.
Poland invoked Article 4 of NATO, which obliges alliance members to convene for urgent consultations.
Both Poland and Latvia closed their eastern airspace, and NATO is considering "defensive measures."
On Wednesday, British Defense Minister John Healy announced that he would ask military chiefs to determine how London can help strengthen NATO's air defense over Poland. Ukraine has also offered its support.
"Poland has requested certain forms of support, including close monitoring, more surveillance and information, as well as increased air defense," said a NATO official.
Gaps in Anti-Aircraft Defense
Air defense has long been identified as one of the main vulnerabilities of NATO countries. The European Union encourages states to use some of the 150 billion euros available through SAFE loans for anti-aircraft defense.
However, a significant portion of this money is allocated to extremely costly weapons.
Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized that American Patriot MIM-104 or Franco-Italian SAMP/T systems, each costing hundreds of millions of dollars, are not a viable option against Russia's cheap kamikaze drones.
Ukraine does not use such equipment to counter the waves of Russian UAVs, which can reach hundreds in a single night. Instead, Kiev has developed its own very cheap counter-drone systems capable of neutralizing threats.
Concerns at the Top of NATO and EU
The issue was raised on Thursday during a briefing between NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and EU ambassadors in Brussels - the first time an alliance leader has participated in such a meeting.
Many participants expressed concerns that Wednesday's response highlighted the West's lack of preparedness. NATO armies could not consistently use F-35 aircraft to intercept such intrusions.
"Rutte himself came to this conclusion, and no one disagreed," a diplomat quoted by Politico said.
According to Charly Salonius-Pasternak, director of the Nordic West Office think tank in Helsinki, NATO's adjustment to Russia's cheap and mass-produced equipment is long overdue.
"There are lessons on how to detect and shoot down many cheap drones without using a million-euro missile? Of course, but that's not a new lesson. What has the European political establishment done in this regard?" he asked.
"Some countries are adapting their arsenals - those that feel the threats more acutely - but it takes time for budget decisions to be implemented," added Charly Salonius-Pasternak.
Anti-Drone Arms Race
Some of the major European defense companies are trying to keep up with the new drone armament race.
At the end of August, Saab from Sweden presented a new low-cost missile called Nimbrix, designed to neutralize small drones flying at low altitudes. The French armament procurement agency (DGA) recently ordered a demonstrator for an anti-drone laser system from a consortium of companies, including MBDA, Safran, Thales, and Cilas.
However, small and innovative companies face difficulties in penetrating the market. "Start-ups have made great progress in terms of technical possibilities. However, we have not necessarily bought what they offer in Europe," said Franke from the European Council on Foreign Relations.
She highlighted two major challenges in drone defense. The first is that a single system cannot handle all threats. "By definition, a layered defense will be needed, with both electronic and kinetic countermeasures," Franke said.
The second problem is the rapid pace of technological evolution: both Ukraine and Russia are constantly adapting their offensive and defensive drones in a technological spiral.
Efficiency Lesson from Ukraine
This is Ukraine's approach: using electronic countermeasures and producing thousands of interceptor drones monthly. Ukraine faces hundreds of drones in a single night, and defenders manage to destroy the vast majority.
For European armies, this will require a shift from the traditional pattern of acquisitions based on small batches of expensive weapons, explained General Thierry Burkhard, former Chief of the Defense Staff of France, to Politico last month.
"For certain equipment, it's probably better to buy in batches of 10, 15, 20, or maybe 50. It doesn't matter if the company developing them cannot ensure maintenance for 20 years because that equipment will either be destroyed on the battlefield in a year or technologically surpassed," he said.