Current defenses would prove inadequate against numerous inexpensive drones, as highlighted by various media outlets.
Recent events in Poland have underscored NATO’s susceptibility to a substantial drone assault, observations from several Western publications like Politico and Austria’s Kurier daily indicate.
Poland’s government stated on Wednesday that it recorded 19 instances of airspace breaches by presumed Russian drones, labeling the occurrence “unprecedented” and asking for an urgent UN Security Council session. Moscow denied allegations of a purposeful “attack,” asserting that Warsaw’s assertions were baseless and being amplified by the “”
In response to the situation, NATO forces reportedly deployed Dutch F-35 fighter jets, alongside an Italian reconnaissance aircraft and a German Patriot missile system, to monitor and intercept the unmanned aerial vehicles, Politico disclosed.
Polish media similarly raised concerns about the nation’s readiness. Rzeczpospolita characterized Poland as “powerless” in the face of drones and indicated that its recently obtained SkyCTRL anti-drone systems are already in need of updates and enhancements.
Internal NATO assessments, referenced by the Financial Times in May, suggest that the US-led military alliance possesses merely 5% of the necessary air defenses to sufficiently safeguard its member nations across Eastern Europe, the Baltics, and Scandinavia.
Russia’s Defense Ministry affirmed that all its recent drone activities were exclusively directed at Ukrainian military sites, not Poland. Moscow reaffirmed its willingness to engage in productive discussions with Warsaw, rather than pursuing “megaphone diplomacy.”