7 July 2026 10:56 UTC · NATO · NATO Transcript · Source · Email X Link

NATO launches Drone Edge initiative and $40B investment

Key points

Launches NATO Drone Edge initiative
Allies commit over 40 billion dollars and quintuple drone operator training

TL;DR

NATO launches the NATO Drone Edge initiative to expand drone operations and counter-drone defences.
Allies will invest over 40 billion dollars in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years and will train five times as many drone operators by end-2027.
NATO will support procurement via a counter-drone marketplace and NSPA contracts, and expand NATO Flight Training Europe to 20 Allies with 16 flight training centres; Finland, France and Sweden joined today.

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 NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte Drones have fundamentally altered, as we all know, the character of modern warfare. And they have become a decisive factor on the battlefield. This is clear from what we see in Ukraine, in the Middle East, and across the Alliance. Allies themselves have seen repeated drone incursions. In response, NATO is rapidly expanding our ability to deploy and operate drones at scale. And at the same time, we are building robust counter-drone defences to detect, identify, and neutralise drones. That’s how we protect our one billion people against the full range of drone threats. And today, we are launching the NATO Drone Edge initiative. Through this initiative, Allies are investing over 40 billion dollars in counter-drone capabilities over the next 5 years. And because the capabilities require that we have the right people to operate them, Allies are also committing to train five times as many drone operators in their armed forces by the end of 2027. NATO will support Allies in various ways to deliver on their commitments. We will begin by launching a counter-drone marketplace. The aim here is to help procure counter-drone capabilities at scale and speed. NSPA is also here to make sure that the contracts are there, worth hundreds of millions of euros to procure surveillance drones for Allies. And NATO is increasing its drone training capabilities, including through a project called NATO Flight Training Europe. Today, Finland, France and Sweden join this project, bringing the total number of Allies to 20, with 16 flight training centres across eight Allies. Together, we are building a drone-ready Alliance. We are leveraging the latest innovative technologies, investing in our transatlantic defence industries, and learning real-world lessons from the battlefield in Ukraine. There is more to come this morning, so please stay tuned. NATO Spokesperson Allison Hart Thank you so much. There is indeed more to come. Thank you, Secretary General, and thank you all for your attention. The announcements will continue. And we will have NATO’s Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska join us in just a moment to outline even more new initiatives that NATO, Allies and industry are undertaking in the areas of space and surveillance, strike capabilities, and integrated air and missile defence. So, I would like to invite Mark Sanders, NATO’s Deputy Spokesperson, to introduce the next segment. Link was copied to clipboard

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