La European Commission plans toexpand the “drone wall” plan initially designed to protect Europe's eastern flank, to include more parts of the continent, several diplomatic sources in Brussels told Reuters on Tuesday.
This initiative, called "European initiative for defense against drones", will be detailed in a new roadmap on defense preparedness which the Commission is due to present on Thursday. According to these sources, this extension responds to requests from several Member States believing they are excluded from the system, particularly in southern and western Europe.
The project was launched after a Twenty Russian drones entered Polish airspace last month, fueling security concerns in neighboring countries. The goal is to establish a integrated network of sensors, electronic jammers and interception systems, ranging from Baltic States to the Black Sea, to counter any unauthorized air incursion.
The Eastern European countries welcomed the plan, seeing it as a collective shield against Russian threatsBut some southern states, such as Spain, Italy and Greece, believe that the current strategy neglects the growing risks associated with drones in the Mediterranean and North Africa.
The President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wishes to make this initiative a symbol of integrated European defense, in a context where Member States are seeking to better coordinate their military efforts in the face of growing geopolitical tensions.
