Ukraine Participates in NATO Drill to Test Anti-Drone Systems – Reuters

By Andrew Gray and Bart Biesemans

VREDEPEEL, Netherlands – NATO concluded a significant anti-drone exercise this week, marking Ukraine’s first participation as the alliance aims to rapidly adapt to the increasing use of unmanned systems in the ongoing conflict.

The drills, hosted at a Dutch military base, involved over 20 nations and approximately 50 companies, focusing on advanced technologies for detecting and neutralizing drones while evaluating their operational compatibility.

The 11-day exercise culminated in a demonstration of techniques for jamming and hacking drones, further emphasizing their critical role in the Ukraine conflict. Recent events underscored this, as a large drone strike by Ukraine resulted in a massive explosion at a major Russian arms depot. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a significant increase in drone production, targeting nearly 1.4 million units this year.

The growing reliance on drones for reconnaissance and targeting has prompted NATO to intensify its focus on the potential threats these systems pose to the alliance.

"NATO takes this threat very seriously," noted Matt Roper, chief of the Joint Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Centre at NATO’s technology agency. "This is not a domain we can afford to sit back and be passive on," he remarked at the exercise location, Lieutenant General Best Barracks in the eastern Netherlands.

Experts have advised NATO on the need to swiftly enhance its drone warfare capabilities. A report from a policy analysis think tank last September highlighted that NATO possesses insufficient drones for high-intensity engagements against capable adversaries, suggesting that the alliance would struggle to effectively use its existing resources in a contested environment.

EVOLUTION OF THREATS

The recently concluded drills, complete with refreshments for spectators provided by a radar company, marked the fourth annual exercise of its kind. Claudio Palestini, co-chair of a NATO working group on unmanned systems, pointed out that the exercises have adapted to evolving trends, such as the conversion of FPV (first-person view) drones—originally created for civilian racing—into lethal weapons.

"Every year, we witness an evolution of the threat with the introduction of new technology," he explained. "However, we also observe that many counter-drone capabilities are becoming more advanced."

During a demonstration, two small FPV drones zipped through the sky, maneuvering around a military vehicle before their signals were successfully jammed. While such electronic warfare tactics are prevalent in Ukraine, they tend to be less effective against long-range reconnaissance drones, according to a technology developer from Ukraine’s defense ministry.

The official, known only as Yaroslav for security reasons, indicated that his team has created kamikaze drones to incapacitate such targets, a cost-effective alternative to using missiles. "You need to move quickly," he emphasized regarding the rapid need to counter the impact of drones. “The technology you develop is relevant for only three to six months before it becomes obsolete."