7 July 2026 07:57 UTC · NATO · NATO News · Source · Email X Link

NATO announces $40 billion investment in counter-drone capabilities

Key points

Over $40 billion for counter-drone capabilities
Fivefold increase in drone operator training by end-2027

TL;DR

NATO announced over $40 billion will be invested in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years.
Allies aim to train five times as many drone operators by the end of 2027; NATO’s Flight Training Europe (NFTE) initiative will be extended to cover drone operator training and Finland, France and Sweden joined NFTE.
NATO will establish a counter-drone marketplace to ensure systems are NATO-tested and compatible; NATO’s Supply and Procurement Agency (NSPA) awarded a contract in the hundreds of millions of dollars to procure surveillance drones.

Original text

Create an account Reset password Already have an account? Log in From now on you can download videos from our website If you would also like to subscribe to the newsletter and receive our latest updates, click on the button below. Enter the email address you registered with and we will send you a code to reset your password. The password must be at least 12 characters long, no spaces, include upper/lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Click the button to return to the page you were on and log in with your new password. 07 July 2026 1 MIN READ On Tuesday (7 July 2026) at the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum, NATO Allies announced that over 40 billion dollars will be invested in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years. 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 seventeen other NFTE members. Through the initiative, participating Allies are granted access to the NFTE sixteen 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. 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. Link was copied to clipboard

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Europe