{"id":19599,"date":"2026-01-17T17:55:37","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T16:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/?p=19599"},"modified":"2026-01-19T20:54:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T19:54:46","slug":"inside-europes-ambitious-drone-wall-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/19599\/inside-europes-ambitious-drone-wall-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside Europe\u2019s ambitious Drone Wall project"},"content":{"rendered":"

This production is made by: \u00a0Freya Bjerrum, Justine van Overeem and Suzanne Borsboom<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\r\n

In recent months, drones have been spotted with increasing frequency across European airspace<\/strong> It\u2019s often unclear who is controlling them or why, which worries both citizens and policymakers. In response, the European Commission has put forward plans for what it calls a \u201cDrone Wall\u201d. But what can such a system actually achieve, and are the expectations realistic?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

The term \u201cDrone Wall\u201d comes from the EU Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030<\/a>. Despite its name, it is not a physical barrier. Instead, it is a Europe-wide network of radars, sensors, communication systems, and countermeasures designed to detect, track, and, if necessary, neutralize drones, while sharing information in real time across EU countries.<\/p>\r\n

The system functions as a technological ecosystem, a multi-layered detection and response setup aimed at protecting European skies. The EU hopes to have it fully operational by the end of 2027, reflecting the urgency of the project.<\/p>\r\n

The challenge is not just technology<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

According to Erik Stijnman, Senior Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute, the main challenge isn\u2019t the technology itself, it\u2019s understanding what counts as normal drone activity in Europe. \u2018We don\u2019t have a clear picture of what is normal and what isn\u2019t\u2019, Stijnman explains. \u2018Not everything we see is Russian, but it\u2019s also not true that nothing is happening.\u2019<\/p>\r\n

Without that baseline, it is very difficult to know which drones actually pose a threat. The interactive map makes this clear, showing unexpected activity across Europe. As Stijnman points out, without knowing what typical drone traffic looks like, it\u2019s extremely hard to tell which drone incursions are genuinely dangerous.<\/p>\r\n