– We will propose immediate action to make a drone wall within the Flanca east Guard," Ursula von der Leyen stated at a joint conference in Brussels with the NATO Secretary-General on 30 September.
The EU is responding to drones. " Immediate action"
Mark Rutte, who attended the European Commission's meeting, said that a "drone wall" was necessary. He referred to the breach of the airspace of Poland, Estonia and Denmark and stated that there was no point in NATO shooting down drones costing respective 1000 dollars in missiles worth millions of dollars.
Von der Leyen stressed that the EU needs "flag defence projects", must respond "decisively and quickly", and in the case of the flagship task of the east defender of Flanka – "now", together with Ukraine and in close cooperation with NATO.
The question is whether the EU's "now" is inactive besides slow.
"Dron Wall" – EU consequence to threat from Russia
EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, chaired on Friday 26 September, formally launched an initiative to build a 'murder' as part of the wider defence strategy of the EU's east flank, referred to in Brussels as east Flank Watch, ensured that the associate States afraid agreed to decision "from talks to action".
Eastern flank countries participate in the project: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Romania and Bulgaria, Denmark, on which suspicious drones besides appeared, and, contrary to erstwhile reports from Hungary and Slovakia.
Due to experience in the field of combat and the developed drone manufacturing industry, Ukraine has been invited to 10 Union countries concerned. A fewer days ago, president Volodymyr Zelenski announced that the country, despite the war, would start exporting its weapons. Meanwhile, Andrius Kubilius, based on expert estimates, spoke of the "year" needed to implement the task "in the field", but himself emphasized that he was not convinced of these estimates.
"It's not this year"
– We are not having this year," says Deutsche Welle Dalia Grybauskaite. The Warsaw safety Forum was the president of Lithuania and the EU budget commissioner in a discussion with the DW that "there is simply a difference between what the European Commission is doing and the pace at which something can be done bilaterally, for example in regional cooperation in NATO", so "all specified initiatives must happen simultaneously, due to the fact that 1 is not enough".
Inquired how the drone wall fits into the overall Natovian and EU strategy towards the east flank, Grybauskaite emphasizes that "Baltic countries, Nordic countries and Poland have already entered into cooperation with Ukraine".
"Dron wall engages EU as future defence alliance"
– We are building factories in the territory of Ukraine, and besides in our territory any factories are already building drones, that's what's happening – she noted, after which she added that the drone wall is crucial due to the fact that it is already "engaging the European Union as a future defence alliance, not only economical and political."
Is there a political desire and strength in Brussels and the Commission for real implementation and wall and many another defence initiatives?
– Ironically, Putin will aid us become faster and more effective. He won't give us time to discuss and wait for what happens. He'll push and we'll decision faster. Of course, we'd alternatively not have him on our east borders. But that's the reality, and he won't get out of the way of war for the remainder of his life. We will gotta deal with militaristic, aggressive Russia for decades to come – Grybauskaite says.
What's the drone wall going to be?
The debate on the "dron wall" will be 1 of the key themes of the informal summit of EU leaders in Copenhagen on 1 October. The Commission must work with associate States and representatives of the arms manufacture and Ukraine to prepare a plan for the implementation of the full project, which is part of a wider programme of defences on land, sea and air of the Flanki defender Programme.
According to Commissioner Kubilius, the strategy must have both the task of detecting and destroying intruders in the European sky. But in an interview with Deutsche Welle at the Warsaw safety Forum, Philip Breedlove, a retired U.S. Air Force general, stresses that Western allies must halt "shooting shots due to the fact that they should be able to shoot archers".
Expert: Attack not only drones, but a full chain
– We must be able to attack not only places where [drones] were launched, but besides places where they are being built. fewer – we must be able to attack supply chains, regardless of where these supplies come from. If we have a ship from China carrying components to drones, we should be able to send this ship to the bottom of the ocean. That is,:we request to attack the full structure thoroughly, not just drones erstwhile they are already in the air,” emphasised the erstwhile commander of the U.S. Armed Forces in Europe and the Chief Commander of the Alliance Forces in Europe (SACEUR).
General Breedlove, a erstwhile military pilot himself, participated at the Warsaw safety Forum in a discussion with air combat specialists, in which it was stressed, among others, that it was not possible to fight with drones: military aviation should be utilized to supply an advantage in the air, which will only let drones to operate – differently from what is presently happening on both sides of the front of the war in Ukraine.
– The drones are just part of the air force, just another air weapon we gotta defeat. We request to make operational capabilities to halt drones," stressed General Breedlove in his conversation with DW. He adds that the strategy does not change – it is always about ensuring air, land and sea defence – while he admits that both in Poland, Estonia or Israel and another points of inflammation in the planet are the same problem.
– The weapon we usage is not financially suitable for the weapon we shoot down, and we gotta correct it – concludes General Breedlove. The air defence of Poland – this will be crucial – is in receipt.
