Drone defence expert warns ‘it’s no longer if, but when’ critical sites are hit as Russian incursions escalate
Airports, ports, and energy sites are increasingly vulnerable to drone disruption, a leading defence expert has warned, as Russian military provocations continue to raise tensions with Nato.
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Karl Rosander, CEO and co-founder of Nordic Air Defence, told LBC that drones are rapidly becoming one of the biggest threats to critical infrastructure, with hostile states already adopting them for military and hybrid operations.
“These incidents aren’t going away,” Rosander said. “The reality is now that drones are being used more and more by adversaries to trespass in civilian spaces, disrupt critical infrastructure and to test our preparedness. We have probably only seen the beginning of the harmful impacts that drones can have on critical infrastructure and societies in peace time. The potential repercussions could be catastrophic.”
His warning comes after a series of incidents underscoring Europe’s exposure to Moscow’s tactics. US fighter jets scrambled on Wednesday to intercept four Russian warplanes flying near Alaska, while UK warships shadowed the Russian destroyer Neustrashimy through the Channel.
Nato states including Poland and Estonia have also reported incursions by Russian drones and fighter jets this month.
Rosander said airports, energy facilities, ports and even stadiums are now “potential targets for disruption”, warning that violations of sensitive airspace are on the rise. “It is no longer a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’,” he said.
Read more: Moscow issues warning of war if NATO shoots down Russian aircraft
The Nordic Air Defence chief added that current responses are far too costly and cumbersome, with Poland and Romania forced to rely on fighter jets like F-16s and F-35s to respond to drone breaches last week.
“Protecting airspaces against drones requires a far more sophisticated approach than simply shooting them down,” he said. “There’s a need for anti-drone interceptor technology that is effective, easy to use, scalable, and deployable at speed.”
With drone sightings shutting down airports and grounding flights in recent years, Rosander warned governments that failing to invest in counter-drone systems would prove far more expensive than preventative measures.
“The cost of investing in solutions pales in comparison to the cost of incidents like these which impacted tens of thousands of passengers for hours,” he said.
The comments come as Nato leaders vow to defend allied airspace “by all means” after Russian drones were shot down over Poland this month.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has urged Nato states to shoot down Russian aircraft if they cross into their skies, though he has been non-committal on whether the US would back such actions directly.