Five European Countries Team Up for Affordable Drone Defense Using Ukraine Expertise

France, Poland, Germany, the UK and Italy have launched a joint program to develop cost-effective air defense systems using Ukraine's battle-tested drone warfare knowledge. The initiative aims to create affordable countermeasures against low-cost drone threats that have been testing European borders.

Five major European countries have launched a collaborative effort to develop affordable air defense technology by tapping into Ukraine’s extensive battlefield experience gained during four years of conflict with Russia.

The initiative, announced Friday, involves France, Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy working together through what they call the E5 partnership. This represents one of several European defense initiatives aimed at strengthening border security, including plans for a “drone wall” designed to better monitor and stop unauthorized aircraft from entering European airspace.

Both Russia and Ukraine have developed advanced drone warfare capabilities through the harsh realities of combat, where battlefield innovations have transformed modern military tactics. Poland has already begun collaborating with Ukraine on drone technology through joint training exercises and manufacturing partnerships.

These collaborative efforts gained momentum following multiple incidents where unauthorized drones have challenged European borders and disrupted airport operations. While Russia has been accused of involvement in some cases, Moscow denies any intentional actions or participation.

“The UK and our E5 partners are stepping up — investing together in the next generation of air defense and autonomous systems to strengthen NATO’s shield,” said Luke Pollard, Britain’s minister for defense readiness and industry.

“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,” he said. “We need to make sure that we’re matching the cost of the threats with the cost of defense.”

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz explained that the participating nations signed an agreement for shared investment in manufacturing and purchasing drone-based attack systems and affordable defense technologies through a program titled Low-Cost Effectors and Autonomous Platforms, or LEAP.

“Combat technologies and techniques are changing rapidly — ​​we must respond quickly and appropriately,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “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.”

The cost-effectiveness issue became apparent when Russian drones violated Polish airspace in September 2025, prompting Warsaw and NATO allies to deploy multimillion-dollar fighter jets against drones worth only thousands of dollars that ultimately crashed in Polish rural areas. Affordable kinetic or electronic countermeasures would enable drone detection and elimination at significantly reduced costs.

European nations have rushed to strengthen their military capabilities following President Donald Trump’s harsh criticism of NATO, European defense expenditures, and previously solid alliances. The European Union has increased defense spending and is considering more extensive military cooperation projects.

“Europe’s security is more uncertain than it has been in decades,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, pointing to Russian aggression, Middle Eastern instability, China’s influence, and a “redefined” relationship with the United States. She described the affordable interceptor program as evidence of Europe’s dedication to self-defense.

“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 defense. 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.”

However, the 32-member military alliance faces challenges from Trump’s second presidency. His recent threats regarding Greenland, a semi-independent Danish territory and NATO ally, along with critical comments about NATO forces in Afghanistan, have created additional friction.

Although Greenland tensions have temporarily cooled, the internal disputes have significantly weakened the world’s largest security alliance’s capacity to discourage potential adversaries.