NATO creates an online catalog of anti-drone systems to neutralize Russian attacks

An online catalog that, instead of offering clothing, appliances or toys, displays the most advanced systems to combat Russian drones on NATO borders. The Atlantic Alliance has launched this week its own Amazon of anti-drone technology, a digital platform conceived under the logic of electronic commerce that allows the Defense ministries of member countries to acquire – or rent – ​​cutting-edge technology against unmanned aircraft in a few clicks, eradicating bureaucratic obstacles of up to a year to respond to the growing challenges on the Eastern flank of Europe.

The objective is to accelerate the deadlines for the countries of the Alliance to arm themselves with the latest technologies in the face of the drastic increase in drone incursions into the Alliance's airspace and the fear aroused by the growing hybrid attacks that European critical infrastructures are suffering, starting with airports. Only in this first week of November have Alliance fighters been activated to counter drones sighted in Latvia and Romania. The initiative has been planned for some time, but the organization admits that it has been accelerated by recent events on the Eastern flank and the various incidents recorded in the capitals.

In the traditional military contracting model, the entire process, from processing the file to formally signing the contract, usually takes between 9 and 12 months. Now, deadlines can be significantly reduced because the tenders have already been awarded and thus countries know in advance characteristics such as performance, delivery time or prices, which range between 1.6 and 25 million euros per unit.

"The idea is to offer an e-commerce type acquisition experience for anti-drone systems, so that allies can make purchases easily. This does not mean that there is no competition, but that the competition has already been done in advance," explained the head of Innovation and Technological Adoption of NATO's Defense Investment, Innovation and Armament Division, Claudio Palestini, from the headquarters of the military organization.

Among the technologies available in this military Amazon are from radars to cameras and electromagnetic sensors to locate and track unmanned aircraft. Also electronic interference systems designed to interrupt their communications – one of the most effective methods –, interceptor drones to shoot down other devices or solutions that incorporate machine guns or small missiles.

According to Palestini, at first they thought only of the armed forces, but they see a growing interest on the part of the police to protect civilian spaces such as airports or energy infrastructures. It is all part of the Drone Edge program, presented during the last Ankara summit, when members of the Atlantic Alliance committed to jointly investing more than $40 billion in anti-drone capabilities over the next five years.