World’s costliest 1,850-mile drone wall
The initiative will be a permanent early warning and monitoring system across NATO’s eastern border, which spans around 3,000 km or 1,850 miles.
It marks one of the alliance’s most ambitious attempts yet to harden Europe’s defenses against Russia’s unconventional tactics, such as drone incursions, GPS jamming, and cross-border provocations.
Germany leads the project and has the backing of six NATO countries, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland, and Norway.
The project reflects a broader shift in European defense thinking as nations increasingly look to reduce dependence on the United States.
That trend has accelerated under President Donald Trump’s renewed pressure on NATO members to spend more on defense.