The Drone Crisis (II)

The ‘drone wall’

Plans to create a drone defence along NATO’s eastern flank have been under discussion for some time. In May 2024, Lithuania’s Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė announced that a group of countries on NATO’s eastern flank (Poland, the Baltic states, Finland and Norway) had already decided to embark on implementation of interception systems. The plan would involve a mix of drones and permanently installed infrastructure along the borders with Belarus and Russia. The objectives were stated as: intercepting hostile drones, combatting smuggling, preventing unwanted migration, and responding to other “provocations from unfriendly countries”.[1] However, much remained unclear and is still in flux. In March 2025, the EU rejected a request to fund this ‘drone wall’. However, the funding request was modest (cost estimate of just twelve million euros), so its rejection indicated that much bigger plans were in the making.[2] Regardless of this, various arms companies began working on the technology needed for this task. For example, the Estonian company DefSecIntel Technologies has now begun developing plans for a ‘drone wall’ in collaboration with other companies from the Baltic region.[3] While still small, the project can, it is reported, be easily scaled up in principle.

The German variant

In Germany, a plan to build counter-drone systems on NATO’s eastern flank has also been widely discussed since March. At that time, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), the leading think-tank in this field, published a strategy paper by four authors who advocate an accelerated arms build-up by Germany. They, too, insist that Germany and the EU must “make themselves independent of American systems as quickly as possible” in order to create the conditions for truly independent global policymaking. For this to happen it is essential to have “a technology-driven defence strategy”. As a concrete example, the authors cite the “establishment of an extensive drone wall over NATO’s eastern flank,” as part of a counter-drone system that would include, not least, “tens of thousands of combat drones”.[4] One of the four authors, considered by some as the driving force behind the paper’s message, was Thomas Enders. Enders served as CEO of the Airbus Group and its predecessor EADS from 2004 to 2019 and has been DGAP President since 2019. Enders has also been on the supervisory board of the military start-up Helsing since 2022. Helsing, for its part, announced back in the spring that it was interested in contributing to a ‘drone wall’.[5]

A ‘Silicon Valley of armaments’

Planning for a ‘drone wall’ has been advancing since April – under the key influence of German weapons start-ups such as Helsing and, above all, Quantum Systems. As a drone manufacturer, the latter was among the first to supply the Ukrainian armed forces following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.[6] A group of Estonian companies known as the Estonian Defence Industry Cluster, to which DefSecIntel Technologies belongs, is also frequently referred to as a cooperation partner of the German drone-makers. Practical experience from the war in Ukraine plays a central role in planning and design. Quantum Systems, Helsing and others not only supply the Ukrainian armed forces but also maintain a company presence near the front lines from where they can evaluate directly operational experience in a rapidly developing drone war and use it to improve their military systems. Some reports now refer to Ukraine as a “Silicon Valley of armaments”.[7] As early as April, Martin Karkour, Chief Sales Officer of Quantum Systems, was quoted as estimating that the first elements of a ‘drone wall’ could be built within a year. All that was needed, he said, was “a strategy” – and of course the money – “at EU or NATO level”.[8]

Immediate priority

These elements are now being put into place – a process driven significantly by stories of drone flights over airports and military bases in Denmark. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in her State of the European Union address on September 10 that she would support a ‘drone wall’ to the tune of possibly billions of euros, made available specifically as part of a “drone alliance” with Ukraine worth six billions of euros.[9] The funding would give start-ups like Quantum Systems or Helsing the ability to upscale and move to the mass production of drones, with the prospect of becoming major players in the European defence industry. Accordingly, European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius announced last Friday that the ‘drone wall’ was an “immediate priority” for the EU. Kubilius made this statement after a meeting with the defence ministers of all the states along NATO’s eastern flank, from Norway and Finland in the far north to Romania and Bulgaria in the southeast.[10] The Commissioner had himself already reemphasised the importance of leveraging the experience gained by the Ukrainian armed forces in their brutal drone battles with Russia. He also agreed with the assessment that the first elements of the ‘drone wall’ could be completed within a year. Further elements could, he said, be delivered step by step.[11]

German shift

Unsurprisingly, Ukraine has already pledged its cooperation with the project. As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated on Monday, “We are ready to share our knowledge and experience” in an effort to jointly build a “reliable shield against the Russian threat from the air”.[12] It is now reported that EU heads of state and government intend to discuss the ‘drone wall’ plans at their informal summit in Copenhagen, which begins today, Wednesday. However, just on Monday, in a rather surprising shift of position, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius declared that a ‘drone wall’ could not in fact be realized “in the next three or four years”. He concluded that the focus of planning should therefore not be on a ‘drone wall’ but, rather, on “drone defence” more generally. Pistorius said it was vital to ensure that “the development and procurement processes are flexible enough to allow for adjustments at any time,” as the technology is evolving rapidly.[13] It was initially unclear what specific steps Pistorius had in mind.

British Competition

It is clear, however, that the drone technology being developed by German start-ups is not without alternatives. Over the weekend, British Defence Secretary John Healey reaffirmed that drones had, again in cooperation with Ukraine, been developed that would now be mass-produced in British factories. They would, he claimed, be delivered “by the thousands” to Ukraine for deployment on front lines. They could also be used in NATO countries, Healy said.[14] The Telegraph newspaper explicitly claims Britain is building the ‘drone wall’ currently being planned by the EU.

[1] Nate Ostiller: Baltics, Poland, other countries agree to create ‘drone wall’. kyivindependent.com 25.05.2024.

[2] EU declines funding for Lithuania-Estonia ‘drone wall’ project. kyivindependent.com 07.04.2025.

[3] Latvian and Estonian companies joining forces to build ‘Drone Wall’. eng.lsm.lv 26.09.2025.

[4] Jeannette zu Fürstenberg, Moritz Schularick, René Obermann, Tom Enders: Abhängigkeit oder Selbstbehauptung: Deutschlands und Europas Rolle im 21. Jahrhundert entscheidet sich jetzt. dgap.org. See also: Drohnenwall über der NATO-Ostflanke.

[5] See: Die Rüstungsregierung im Amt.

[6] See: Rüstungsknotenpunkt Ukraine (II).

[7] Gregor Grosse: Ein Silicon Valley für Rüstung. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 20.09.2025.

[8] James Rothwell: NATO’s ‘drone wall‘ that would see Russia’s invasion coming. telegraph.co.uk 13.04.2025.

[9] 2025 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen. ec.europa.eu 10.09.2025.

[10] Linus Höller: EU vows haste in ‘drone wall‘ plan for eastern borders. defensenews.com 29.09.2025.

[11] Aurélie Pugnet, Charles Cohen, Chris Powers, Kjeld Neubert: EU defence chief says ‘drone wall’ could be ready in a year. euractiv.com 24.09.2025.

[12] Kiew bietet Hilfe an. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 30.09.2025.

[13] Laura Kayali: Germany’s Pistorius pours cold water on drone wall concept. politico.eu 29.09.2025.

[14] Tony Diver: Britain to build drone wall to protect Europe from Russia. telegraph.co.uk 28.09.2025.