Nato's ‘drone wall' that would see Russia's invasion coming

SUNDAY 8AM
Germany is seeking to build a 'drone wall' along Nato's eastern border with Russia to help defend its Baltic allies from a future invasion.
Friedrich Merz, the incoming chancellor, has vowed to rearm Germany in response to the threat from Russia, passing historic reforms last month that unlock potentially unlimited spending on major defence projects.
The German arms industry is now discussing the idea of building a fleet of drones – or a 'drone wall' – to defend all or parts of Nato's eastern flank.
The wall, also known as a 'drone nexus' in defence industry circles, would consist of hundreds, if not thousands, of unmanned aircraft that would survey the border, act as an early detection system and deter Russian aggression.
Nato's eastern member states – Finland, Estonia and Latvia – share a long, porous border with Russia. Western officials fear that it could become the flashpoint of a major confrontation with Moscow in the future.
The governments of Finland, Lithuania, Norway and Poland have previously lobbied for a continent-spanning drone wall with EU funding, but that proposal was rejected by Brussels this week, opening the door to a new German-led approach.
One of the German firms eager to contribute to the drone wall is Bavaria-based Quantum Systems, which said it could build some of the drones required for the project in just one year.
Martin Karkour, the chief sales officer at Quantum Systems, said: 'With the right political coordination, a first operational layer – using existing, proven technology – could be deployed within a year. The technology is ready. What is still needed is a strategy at the EU or Nato level.'
He added: 'We have the capacity to produce hundreds of AI-powered reconnaissance drones per month and scale further.'
He stressed that the project was a huge undertaking that may need to involve several defence and technology firms, as well as a clear vision from the top levels of Nato and the EU.
Mr Karkour said it was important that the drone wall, or 'nexus', be sourced within Europe because of growing concerns that the continent can no longer rely on US security guarantees.
'European-made systems ensure strategic autonomy and keep sensitive data under European control. The 'kill switch' issue certainly also has some truth to it – also when it comes to software support of existing systems,' he said, referring to the purported ability of the US to remotely shut down weapons it sells to Europe.
'European systems can also be tailored to local legal and operational standards – that's critical for sovereign security,' he added.
Quantum Systems' battle-hardened drone fleet is already being used by Ukrainian forces, such as the Achilles battalion, which is estimated to have destroyed $56 million (£43 million) worth of Russian anti-aircraft and missile systems since the full-scale invasion.
The Munich-based defence firm Helsing, which has also shown interest in the drone wall concept, said drone patrols could be used as an alternative to minefields on the Russia-Nato border.
In a recent interview, Gundbert Scherf, Helsing's chief executive, discussed the idea of a drone wall spanning Nato's entire eastern flank, from Finland to Bulgaria.
He told Deutschlandfunk, a German newspaper: 'If we deploy there in large numbers, rely on asymmetric capabilities and concentrate tens of thousands of combat drones there, then it will be a very credible conventional deterrent.'
In March, Mr Merz, the leader of the centre-Right Christian Democrats, passed major legislation in the German parliament that made defence projects costing more than 1 per cent of GDP exempt from the 'debt brake', a strict limit on borrowing.
The reforms marked a sea change for Germany, ending its post-war aversion to vast military spending and taking on excessive government debts.
They have also raised the prospect of a major boom for the German defence industry, which already provides substantial military support to Ukraine via the tanks and artillery manufacturer Rheinmetall, among other companies.
Mr Merz is due to be sworn in as Germany's next chancellor in early May, having secured a coalition deal with the centre-Left Social Democrats.
The coalition will largely tackle mass migration, tax cuts and support for the car industry, but also vows to keep up military support for Ukrainian soldiers and financial commitments to Nato.
Mr Karkour, and other German defence firm leaders, are now waiting for directions from the new government, and may soon be fiercely competing for contracts that could define Europe's long-term security. At that point, he said, an estimated cost for the project will become clearer.
He said: 'Before any serious estimate can be made, political and military leaders need to define the operational requirements,
'What exactly needs to be monitored, where, and at what level of persistence? That's not a question for industry to answer – it's a strategic decision. Once those parameters are clear, industry can deliver scalable, costed solutions.'
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