European nations unprepared for drone attacks on critical infrastructure, expert warns
Robert Garbett of Drone Major Group calls for national-level protection strategies for airports and energy facilities
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Robert Garbett, head of Drone Major Group, warns that European nations lack adequate defenses against drone threats to critical infrastructure, urging governments to shift responsibility from private operators to national-level security systems.
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European countries are currently unprepared for drone attacks on critical infrastructure, and their governments must organize protection against unmanned aerial vehicles at the national level, according to Robert Garbett, head of the UK-based Drone Major Group.
The protection of European airports, gas storage facilities, and power stations is a national responsibility, the chief of the global drone consultancy stressed.
"We are not at all prepared," Garbett said in an interview with the Euractiv web portal. He argued that leaving the protection of critical infrastructure to the individual organizations responsible for those assets is a mistake.
Data cited by Euractiv indicates that Germany registered more than 1,000 suspicious drone sightings in 2025, while the UK reported 250 incursions near military facilities.
To counter potential enemy drones, European countries need to build a multi-layered system of detecting and tracking threats. Garbett emphasized the need for forward deployment of counter-drone systems, such as aircraft capable of detecting, identifying, and tracking incoming threats.
"The goal needs to be to catch any foreign drone way before it enters airspace near its target or cities," he said, adding that the second necessary step is to eliminate the threat.
