Warsaw: A new programme to produce low-cost air defence systems and autonomous drones using Ukrainian expertise has been announced by five European nations.
The initiative of the E5 nations — France, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy — on February 20 comes as one of many European efforts to bolster defence along their borders, like a “drone wall” with Russia and Ukraine to better detect, track and intercept drones violating Europe’s airspace.
Forged in the grim laboratory of war, both Kyiv and Moscow have cutting-edge drone warfare capabilities. Here, battlefield innovations have rewritten modern battle tactics. Poland is already working with Ukraine on drone technology in joint military training programmes and manufacturing projects.
Luke Pollard, Britain’s Minister for defence readiness and industry, said, “The UK and our E5 partners are stepping up — investing together in the next generation of air defence and autonomous systems to strengthen NATO’s shield. We have some of the best kit on the entire planet for shooting down air threats. The problem is to be effective at shooting down relatively low-cost missiles, drones, and other threats facing us.”
“We need to make sure that we’re matching the cost of the threats with the cost of defence,” he said.
The group of countries signed an agreement to jointly invest in the production and procurement of drone-based strike capabilities as well as cheap drone defence systems in a programme called Low-Cost Effectors and Autonomous Platforms, or LEAP, said Poland’s Defence Minister, Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.
“Combat technologies and techniques are changing rapidly — we must respond quickly and appropriately. We also signed a crucial commitment regarding the joint development of drone-based strike capabilities, low-cost joint production, and joint procurement of drone effectors, i.e., combat payloads, using artificial intelligence,” he said.
In September 2025, when Russian drones entered Polish airspace, Warsaw and its NATO allies used multimillion-dollar jets to respond to drones that cost thousands and that ended up crashing into the Polish countryside. Low-cost kinetic or electronic effectors would allow the detection and destruction of drones at a fraction of the price.
Scrambling to arm itself in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s deep criticism of NATO, European defence spending has ramped up. Yet, the infighting has seriously undercut the ability of the world’s biggest security alliance to deter adversaries.
Citing Russian aggression, instability in the West Asia, China and a “redefined” alliance with the US, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief said, “Europe’s security is more uncertain than it has been in decades.” She said that the low-cost interceptor programme exemplifies the European commitment to its own security.
“If we want to keep our country safe, we must strengthen our hard power. The good news is that we are already investing record sums in defence. Europe is stepping up. but it’s not about competing with NATO. It’s about making Europe stronger within NATO. A stronger Europe makes the alliance also stronger,” she added.
