European Commissioner for Defense talks about the technologies needed for the "Wall of Drones"

Europe needs to develop additional capabilities to combat the penetration of Russian drones. This was discussed at briefing european Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said about the "Wall of Drones" project.

He confirmed that shooting down drones with fighter jets is quite expensive. Therefore, Europe should adopt Ukraine's experience in this area.

"Indeed, when we compare how Ukrainians are fighting drone infiltration and what capabilities we have, we can clearly state that we need to develop additional capabilities that we may not have yet," Kubilius said.

First, Europe needs to improve its detection systems. Fighter jets and missiles are now well detected, but additional equipment is needed for small, low-flying UAVs.

"There are solutions from different manufacturers, both in Europe and abroad. I believe that this capability should be our priority – to create a network of detectors; different experts know what kind of detectors we need and where they should be placed," the official emphasized, adding that detection is critical.

Secondly, it is necessary to think about ways to destroy targets in the air if they enter the airspace of the European Union. In this context, Kubilius mentioned electronic warfare equipment to jam UAVs, emphasizing Ukraine's experience.

"On the battlefield in Ukraine, we see that drone interceptors are becoming very effective – these capabilities are developing rapidly, and we need to think about how to integrate them into our defense," he said.

The European Commissioner also mentioned anti-aircraft artillery and machine guns used by mobile fire groups, which Ukraine also uses. He stated that some countries can use helicopters and fighter jets, but "the question is the price." In his opinion, decisions need to be made on the ground before firing a missile worth millions to shoot down a $10,000 drone.

"And the last thing is that we have to look to the future, because it is publicly announced that some countries and industries are starting to look for completely new tools, such as lasers to fight drones. If such technology emerges, we also need to be ready to use it," the Commissioner summarized.

• On September 15, Kubilius said that European countries need to learn many things from the Ukrainian experience counteracting Russian drones in building its own "Drone Wall".
• On September 18, the official noted that some public analysts' estimates suggest that building a "Drone Wall" can be used within a year.