Former NATO chief proposes integrated EU drone defence system

A coalition of European defence firms demonstrated an integrated anti-drone system in Odense on Tuesday, as former NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s consultancy pushes for faster EU action against drone threats.

The Dronetex alliance—backed by Rasmussen Global—showcased combined radar, sensor, and signal-jamming technology to detect, track, and neutralise drones, arguing existing systems are “good enough” to counter immediate risks. “We must stop waiting for the perfect solution,” Arthur de Liedekerke, the coalition’s lead, told Danish broadcaster DR, pointing to drone swarms overwhelming advanced defences in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Jeppe Teglskov Jacobsen, a strategic advisor at Denmark’s National Defence Technology Centre, called the approach “a sensible short-term fix,” stressing the need to link existing technologies from smaller firms. He warned, however, that long-term security requires investment in new tech to stay ahead of evolving threats. “If a house is burning, you don’t build a better fire station—you put out the fire,” he said. “But we also need firms to develop sustainable solutions, not just adaptations.”

The EU aims to deploy a “fully functional” anti-drone system by late 2027, according to foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Recent years have seen confirmed Russian drone incursions into the airspace of Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, and Denmark.