The EU announced on Wednesday its intention to tighten drone registration, establish no-fly zones, and ramp up detection at critical sites following a string of sightings that rattled European countries last year.
The spate of mysterious flights—which disrupted airport operations, buzzed military bases, and entered the airspace of nuclear facilities—has exposed vulnerabilities in Europe’s security amid mounting concerns over threats from Russia.
Henna Virkkunen, EU Commissioner for Tech and Security, said,
We have seen that anything can be used as a weapon against us. … Drone and anti-drone capabilities are central components in defending Europe and securing critical infrastructure.
The new action plan introduced by Brussels is designed to address the civilian sector, building upon last year’s initiative to develop a comprehensive system for military counter-drone defenses.
