Russian drones expose NATO’s air defence gaps as expert warns Britain’s security is on the line
Nato's eastern defences are “not ready” for modern drone warfare, according to a warning from one of Europe’s leading defence firms — and experts say the gaps could have serious implications for Britain’s own security.
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Alpine Eagle, a Munich and London-based counter-drone technology company, says the alliance’s proposed Eastern Shield system is “not equipped” to stop the type of low-cost, fast-moving drones increasingly used by Russia.
In a new white paper, Building Counter-UAS into NATO’s Eastern Shield, the company highlights serious blind spots in the alliance’s defences following recent Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace, which forced temporary airport closures in Warsaw, Lublin and Rzeszów.
Polish officials described the incident as “unprecedented” in its breach of Nato and EU territory.
The report warns that radar systems across Eastern Europe are struggling to detect small, low-flying drones, while the cost of responding remains unsustainable. It notes that €20,000 drones are often countered with missiles or fighter jets costing between €100,000 and €1 million per interception.
Once hostile drones breach initial radar lines, the only available response is to scramble aircraft—an option the company says is both costly and inefficient.
“The events in Poland show that drones are no longer a future threat — they are shaping Europe’s security today,” said Jan-Hendrik Boelens, co-founder and CEO of Alpine Eagle. “No single technology will solve this problem. Only a layered, integrated approach can deliver the resilience NATO needs to defend its eastern frontier.”
Alpine Eagle says Nato must build a multi-layered counter-drone system that can spot, assess and stop threats before they reach critical airspace. The company argues that Europe’s current reliance on expensive interceptors and fighter jets is unsustainable, both financially and strategically.
Instead, it calls for a smarter approach that blends low-cost defensive measures with high-end capabilities, ensuring that cheap, mass-produced drones are not met with million-euro missiles. Mobile airborne radar units, able to patrol forests, cities and coastlines, should fill the gaps left by fixed radar systems and catch drones that slip through.
Crucially, Alpine Eagle says these systems must be tied together through a Nato-wide command network, allowing real-time data sharing and faster decisions across borders. Without that level of coordination, the company warns, Europe risks responding to the next airspace breach with the same slow, fragmented systems that left Poland briefly exposed.
The company argues that Europe needs to move beyond “siloed national responses” and build a continent-wide defensive network capable of handling the scale of drone incursions seen in recent months.
Unmanned aerial systems are not the only concern. The paper points to recent Russian aircraft violations of Estonian airspace and a wave of drone sightings that shut down airports in Copenhagen and Oslo, arguing that Europe’s air defences must be capable of handling “the full spectrum of incursions.”
Alpine Eagle says its proposals align with wider European initiatives, including the European Commission’s planned “Drone Wall” and ongoing talks among EU defence ministers about adopting technology lessons from Ukraine’s front lines.
The firm’s white paper concludes that Europe’s defence posture must evolve quickly, warning that unless new counter-drone systems are deployed at speed, “the next swarm may not be contained as the last one was.”