Anti-drone wall, what is the EU defence system against Russian encroachments

Kubilius explained that the anti-tank wall is part of a larger project, the Eastern Flank Watch, a 'flagship defence project aimed at protecting the entire European Union' that will have a 'land' component (e.g. anti-tank trenches), 'maritime security for the Baltic and Black Seas' and 'space measures'.

The meeting was attended by the Defence Ministers of Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. Also joining them were EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, the Danish Council Presidency and a NATO representative.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal shared Kiev's field experience. The topic will also be dealt with at the informal summit of EU leaders in Copenhagen but, in the meantime, the sherpas of the ministries will start the practical work, because it is imperative to progress swiftly. NATO, in all this, is certainly not standing idly by, and from its headquarters they say that the first new-generation systems will be deployed already in the coming 'weeks and months'. However, having an integrated alert and response system along the entire eastern flank, from Finland (which has a 1300-kilometre border with Russia) to the Black Sea, is a monumental, as well as expensive, undertaking.

According to sources consulted by Ansa, analyses are underway to understand which system to adopt, with a mix of 'kinetic instruments' (a technical term for missiles, machine guns, interceptor drones) and not (e.g. cyber means, electromagnetic or prototype laser cannons). Also because the model developed by Ukraine, which is so much cited today, would need 'millions of interceptors'. "Specialists in Kiev say that Lithuania alone, which has 900 kilometres of border with Russia and Belarus, would need three million," says one of the sources. The ecosystem built by Ukraine under the pressure of necessity is capable of ensuring huge volumes. But replicating it on a European scale will not be easy or cheap.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly known as 'drones', can threaten critical infrastructure, such as power plants, airports and ports, as well as collect sensitive information. The development of sensors to detect drones more precisely is one of the technological trends the EU is working on. Sensor capabilities can be further developed, not only to detect a drone, but also to assess, through flight pattern analysis, payload definition and equipment detection, the threats it poses. Sensors and detection systems must be able to adapt to the changing shapes and capabilities of drones (speed, agility, ability to use false targets, etc.). At the European level, the European Network of Law Enforcement Technology Services (ENLETS); the EU network coordinating police and border guard units at airports (AIRPOL); the EU network bringing together special intervention units (ATLAS); and the EU 'high security risk' network are at the forefront of countering the threats posed by drones. A complex mission from a technical point of view, but strategic in terms of defence.