Nato Allies invest $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities and drone training

At the Nato Summit Defence Industry Forum in Ankara on July 7, Nato Allies  announced that more than $40 billion dollars will be invested in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years, Nato said on its website.

They also aim to train five times as many drone operators by the end of 2027.

To support rapid procurement, Nato will establish a counter-drone marketplace that will ensure that systems are Nato-tested, Nato-compatible, and available for purchase.

To support drone training, Allies will also leverage Nato’s multinational Flight Training Europe (NFTE) initiative. It facilitates all aircrew training and will be extended to cover training for drone operators.

At the Forum, Finland, France and Sweden joined the 17 other NFTE members. Through the initiative, participating Allies are granted access to the NFTE 16 flight centres established across eight countries.

Nato’s Supply and Procurement Agency (NSPA) also awarded a contract in the hundreds of millions of dollars to procure surveillance drones for Allies.

Drones have fundamentally altered the character of modern warfare and become a decisive factor on the battlefield, Nato said. Effective defence relies on the ability to rapidly detect, identify, and neutralise drones. These initiatives will be essential to increase both Alliance readiness and resilience.

A separate announcement said that on July 7, Nato Allies opened a new chapter in Allied space operations, with multinational initiatives and partnerships to develop new space-based capabilities.

At the Nato Summit Defence Industry Forum, eight Allies also launched a new multinational initiative named HALO – Hybrid Alliance Layered Operations in Space.

HALO will focus on improving connectivity and integration of sovereign, nationally owned and controlled military satellites into a networked mega constellation. It aims to improve Alliance resilience and military advantage in space, enabling high-speed communications, intelligence and missile tracking.  It will overcome the cost, time and coverage limitations of single-nation satellite fleets.

At the Forum, several Allies also announced significant contributions to defence in and from space. Canada became the 15th member of Nato’s STARLIFT multinational initiative, which explores ways to develop a network of launch capabilities that will help Allies launch assets at short notice from spaceports across the Alliance.

This will boost Nato’s ability to react more quickly to threats from space, the Alliance said.

German company Isar Aerospace also signed a contract with Canada’s Maritime Launch Services to secure access the launch infrastructure and services at Spaceport Nova Scotia and improve its orbital launch readiness.

Spain became the 19th country to join Nato’s Alliance Persistent Surveillance from Space (APSS), the largest multinational investment in space-based capabilities in Nato’s history. Spain will contribute by increasing coastal surveillance through imagery from its “Atlantic Constellation” satellites.

Following the success of the original IMECE Earth observation satellite, Türkiye announced an ambitious plan for the development of two additional high-resolution satellites to complement the robust space capabilities in the region.

This is in addition to an investment into Low Orbital satellites for military communications and the development of Early Warning Radar Systems which will help keep Türkiye connected and secure on the battlefield.

Also on July 7, Nato Allies made progress on providing innovative and cost-effective solutions for munitions and deep strike systems, delivering them faster and at greater scale.

Nine Allies (Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden and Türkiye) agreed to work together on the development of a prototype for a generic Nato 155mm munition.

The Generic Nato Indirect Fire Round (GENIFR) multinational High Visibility Project (HVP) will set up the parameters for a future fully interchangeable, interoperable Nato 155mm munition. It will help streamline and accelerate production, while eliminating constraints that affect Allied artillery systems.

At the Forum, six Allies (Denmark, France, Italy, Norway, Türkiye and the United Kingdom)  also launched Nato’s multinational Ground-Based Precision Strike Capabilities High Visibility Project to explore the multinational development of novel deep precision strike capabilities, including new launchers and missiles.

In addition, Nato’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) helped deliver several framework contracts to procure additional 155mm ammunition and loitering munitions. Türkiye also announced a major national investment in ATMACA land-based, long-range cruise missiles.

Developing and producing advanced strike capabilities is complex and costly. Lack of compatibility and interoperability has been a recurring issue that effects production capacity.

As shown during the war in Ukraine, the threat of long-range strikes is growing and evolving fast, requiring a more agile approach in the development and use of such capabilities, Nato said.

By leveraging multinational projects and joint procurement, Allies can share development costs, accelerate timelines, achieve economies of scale, and field capabilities more quickly than if done alone. 

Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on July 7 the launch of a new multinational High Visibility Project on defence critical raw materials.

The project brings together 12 Nato Allies to work jointly on strengthening the resilience of defence supply chains. It focuses on the acquisition, storage, transport, and management of critical raw materials, components, and recycled products essential for defence production.

Addressing the forum, Rutte underlined the strategic importance of the initiative. “For our defence to remain ready and strong, we need our industrial base and our supply chains to be resilient,” he said.

The project reflects Allies’ determination to reduce vulnerabilities in strategic supply chains and ensure more secure and stable access to critical materials through closer cooperation.

The 12 Allies participating in the project on critical raw materials for defence are Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Türkiye.

(Photo: Nato)