NATO launched Drone Edge at the Ankara Summit Defence Industry Forum in July 2026, committing USD 40 billion over five years to counter-drone capabilities and training.
The initiative responds to lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as rising drone incidents along NATO’s Eastern Flank, and aims to replace fragmented national procurement with a shared, NATO-compatible standard. For land forces, that standard matters more than the headline figure, since it could let counter-drone units from different Allies operate on a common baseline. Whether that promise holds, however, depends on Allies actually converging on shared procurement and training.
About the Author:
Lucia Ruiz Yunta is a Defence and Security Research Trainee at Finabel