NATO Seeks Drone Interceptors from Ukraine

NATO militaries are seeking affordable air defense tools to counter hostile drones without expending expensive missiles. The alliance is looking to Ukraine, where interceptor drones have become a key defense priority. These domestically produced drones cost as little as $2,500 and are used daily to bring down Russian aircraft.

The push for this technology gained urgency after Russian drones entered Polish and Romanian airspace. Countries like Poland and Romania are deploying the American-made Merops system, an interceptor drone that has downed over 1,900 Russian targets. NATO officials emphasize the rapid evolution of warfare technology, noting that new iterations appear every six weeks to three months. Western countries are collaborating with Ukraine to mass-produce these systems, aiming to drive costs down and preserve sophisticated defenses like Patriot missiles for ballistic threats rather than cheap drones.

Ukrainian forces are using domestically produced interceptor drones daily to bring down deadly Russian drones. The interceptor drones can be mass-produced, which is crucial for Ukraine as worsening Russian bombardments sometimes include hundreds of drones and missiles in a single night. This puts stress on the country's deeply strained air defense network.

Ukraine's defense industry produces hundreds of interceptor drones each day, some of which cost as little as $2,500. That is a fraction of the cost of a standard Russian one-way attack drone, estimated to be worth $35,000 on the low end. They carry small warheads and are designed to directly strike targets midair or explode nearby for a proximity kill.

These drones provide Kyiv with a significant increase in air defense options. They can reach higher and faster-moving targets than the truck-mounted machine guns Ukrainian soldiers relied on previously. This capability allows the country to hold its critical surface-to-air missiles in reserve for higher-end threats.

NATO is taking note of these capabilities, identifying interceptor drones as a cheap way to fill a capability gap against relatively inexpensive attack drones. The urgency increased in September after Russian drones strayed into Polish and Romanian airspace, prompting Western forces to scramble fighter jets. This raised questions about the sustainability of launching expensive missiles for every airspace violation.

While NATO is still flying fighter patrols, Poland and Romania have purchased and are deploying the American-made Merops system. This system consists of an interceptor drone that has already taken down more than 1,900 Russian targets for Ukraine. Military officials touted the system's success and its ability to provide cheap air defense for NATO's Eastern flank. The interceptor drone costs $15,000, which is still less than the potential threats it faces.

At a training event in Poland, US Army Brig. Gen. Curtis King stated that NATO needs to "learn from what Ukraine is fighting right now." He noted that other NATO allies are experimenting with similar systems to employ this technology across the alliance.

The life cycle of technology has shortened dramatically. NATO innovation broker Bart Hollants explained that every six weeks to three months, there is a new iteration or version of tech entering the front line. This rapid pace demands faster procurement before new tools become obsolete.

Western countries are linking up with Ukrainians on this technology. The UK announced plans to mass-produce thousands of Ukrainian-designed interceptor drones for Kyiv. The US is also making these weapons in collaboration with Ukraine. Getting Western firms to produce more interceptor drones will help drive the cost down even further.

The value is clear: procuring interceptor drones allows NATO countries to save sophisticated air defenses, such as the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system, for threats like cruise and ballistic missiles. NATO has hosted Innovation Challenges to find solutions for Russian glide bombs and one-way attack drones, with French and German firms winning for their interceptor drone solutions.