"Adm. Pierre Vandier, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, who oversees modernization efforts, said that the alliance is building something like a Walmart of counter-drone capabilities for member states. One of the promising solutions being tested is a new interceptor drone, which costs roughly the same as its Russian target and is less expensive than a missile launched from a fighter jet, he said."
"His comments came just weeks after Russian drones violated Polish airspace during a large-scale attack against Ukraine. Dutch F-35 stealth fighter jets shot down a number of the drones, likely using air-to-air missiles worth several hundred thousand dollars on the low end, significantly more than the target. The early September incident, widely condemned across Europe, immediately raised questions about NATO air defenses and the cost-efficiency of using fighter jets and missiles to shoot down cheap drones worth just tens of thousands of dollars."
NATO is seeking low-cost, mass-producible air defenses to counter an industrial-scale Russian drone threat. Adm. Pierre Vandier said the alliance is building a Walmart of counter-drone capabilities and is testing interceptor drones that cost roughly the same as their Russian targets and much less than air-to-air missiles. The urgency increased after Russian drones violated Polish airspace and Dutch F-35s shot down several using expensive missiles, highlighting cost-inefficiency. Ukraine faces nightly swarms of dozens or hundreds of Russian drones, and defenders rely on truck-mounted machine guns, helicopters, and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.
Read at Business Insider
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