By Christine Raab, Germany-based drone and defence expert, founder of COPURA GmbH
Russia’s war against Ukraine, the constant probing of Europe’s airspace and borders, and the vulnerability of our critical infrastructure have made one thing crystal clear: drones are now a central feature of modern security. From the Black Sea to the Baltic and the Gulf region, cheap unmanned systems have challenged traditional military technology and exposed how easily our open societies can be disrupte. For a Europe that has long under‑invested in hard power, drones are both a warning light and an opportunity.
The warning is obvious: Drones have driven a profound empowerment of small groups and even individuals, similar to what smartphones did some 15 years ago. They shake up our concepts of security and are accessible to state and non‑state actors alike. They have been used to spy and hit facilities that were previously considered relatively safe, while border services and police forces report increasing use of drones for smuggling, illegal crossings and surveillance of security forces themselves. The security infringements are serious and manyfold. Europe needs to act and act fast.
Yet Europe is not starting from zero: In the last decade, the EU has developed the most sophisticated civilian drone framework in the world. Its airspace rules, certification concepts, operational categories and uncompromising approach to safety are shaping how drones are designed, built and flown – in Europe and beyond. A capable ecosystem of SMEs, start‑ups and industrial players has emerged around these rules. This civilian base is a hidden strategic asset that political decision‑makers should now bring into their security toolbox.
“Civilian” and “defence” increasingly blend together and if we build bridges with our security thinking, a dual‑use strategy would use taxpayer money once to serve two purposes: crowding in private investment and jobs at home, while at the same time strengthening deterrence and resilience against real threats. It would provide security on our borders and across EU territory, and at the same time serve as a major innovation agenda for the European economy.
Bridge 1 – capability. Many technologies and procedures tested and solidified in civil airspace – detect‑and‑avoid systems, traffic management, secure communications or operator training – are directly relevant to border surveillance, critical‑infrastructure protection and battlefield logistics. By aligning requirements and standards where possible, defence and interior ministries can shorten procurement cycles, avoid bespoke “gold‑plated” solutions and benefit from economies of scale created by the civilian market. Training reserve soldiers on drones in their regular exercises is another cost‑efficient way to increase overall resilience. This is fiscal efficiency in practice.
Bridge 2 – governance. A cross‑border airspace incursion, a hostile drone over a nuclear plant, or an attack on an LNG terminal at sea raises operational and legal questions for local police, air‑navigation service providers, national air forces, EU agencies and NATO – all at once. Today, responsibilities and rules of engagement remain fragmented, with grey zones between “civil” and “military” chains of command. Good governance also needs coherent, integrated data for proper situational awareness, another element Europe still lacks. We need clearer roles, better information‑sharing and joint exercises between EU, NATO and member states, using existing civil‑drone expertise as part of the solution.
Bridge 3 – industry. We cannot afford to miss the innovation wave of drones and counter‑drones. The good news is that a vibrant civilian sector already exists inside the Single Market. With the right incentives, these firms can scale into dual‑use champions, offering European alternatives to imported systems and embedding our own standards on safety, cybersecurity and data protection. EU defence tools, from joint procurement to the European Defence Fund, should be used to pull these players into larger programmes, not to reinvent the wheel in closed military silos.
More drones will likely raise concerns among citizens. Questions about surveillance, data use, and deployment at borders or over cities are not “technical”. If mishandled, they risk fuelling resistance to exactly the capabilities Europe needs. Our democratic systems have a high‑stakes opportunity here to show that liberty and security are not a zero‑sum game. A rules‑based approach – with clear legal mandates, proportionality safeguards and effective parliamentary oversight – can ensure that high‑tech security remains anchored in European values, supported by open public discussion to build societal acceptance.
So here is a set of political actions necessary to get the unmanned capabilities a democratic and resilient Europe needs:
- Prioritise a small number of concrete drone and counter‑drone capabilities that directly protect citizens and critical infrastructure.
- Use existing civilian rules, agencies and test ranges as accelerators for defence and security projects, not as obstacles.
- Develop and maintain high‑volume drone production capacities in Europe, accepting that maintaining them may cost taxpayers money.
- Fund pragmatic pilot projects with industry, cities and border regions to prove concepts quickly and visibly, helping to shorten procurement cycles.
- Create the legal and technical conditions for an integrated situational‑awareness picture for decision‑preparation, because when the moment comes, decisions must be quick and aligned.
- Embed privacy‑by‑design and transparency requirements early, so that public trust grows with capability, rather than distrust.
Europe’s drone moment is already here and a lot of initiatives in these priority areas have started. The bigger challenge will be to maintain focus despite political distractions and to develop capabilities as coherently as possible across Europe. In security, any wall is only as strong as its weakest brick. If Europe manages to implement such a security‑ and innovation‑focused agenda in developing its unmanned capabilities, it can credibly improve its geopolitical security position within a foreseeable time.