European leaders are considering a “drone wall” along the EU’s eastern flank to counter threats from Russian unmanned aerial vehicles. The initiative, driven by the Baltic states and supported by Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, aims to bolster both EU and NATO defences. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described it as “the bedrock of credible defence,” while EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has called for a meeting of EU defence ministers to discuss deployment.
At the core of the project is Eirshield, a multilayered anti-drone system developed by Estonian company DefSecIntel and Latvian firm Origin Robotics. It combines radars, cameras, radio frequency detectors, and AI to detect, track, and neutralise hostile drones automatically. The system can jam signals, intercept drones with other drones, or engage targets with a third-party gun system, and it has already been deployed in Ukraine against low-flying drones. Its cost per engagement is significantly lower than conventional air defence systems, making it suitable for countering strike drones and other small aerial threats.
Adaptation for peacetime and NATO standards will require modifications, such as non-destructive interception methods like nets or small drones, and careful target verification to avoid false alarms. While the drone wall is intended to complement, not replace, traditional air defence systems, governments will decide on operational tactics and integration with existing defences.
Funding remains a challenge. The European Commission recently rejected a €12 million proposal from Estonia and Lithuania, but all three Baltic nations have allocated national budgets to the programme: Estonia €12 million, Latvia €10 million in research contracts, and Lithuania €3 million for counter-drone equipment. Demonstrations of the technology are planned, but broader EU adoption will depend on political and strategic alignment across member states.
