Officials told Bloomberg the change would shift NATO’s focus from peacetime airspace policing to a more robust air defense posture aimed at deterring invasions and countering missile and drone attacks. A senior NATO military official said the reform is intended to make the changes permanent, so the alliance is better prepared to deter UAV and hypersonic threats.
Allied forces would rely on a mix of ground-based interceptors and air-based assets, the officials said.
“The response to a drone incursion last year into Polish airspace drew criticism when state-of-the-art hardware was used to shoot down low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles,” Bloomberg writes.
“That incident was followed by others in NATO member states, prompting the alliance to announce an effort to fortify its eastern flank by plugging gaps in air defense and integrating its approach.”
On Feb. 12, The Wall Street Journal reported that 10
Ukrainian soldiers using drones during the Hedgehog 2025 exercises crippled a
force equivalent to two NATO battalions.