Clearing the skies: elevating European capabilities in drone and counter-drone systems

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Peace, Security & Defence

12May2026

starts 19:00

ends 21:30

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Unmanned aerial systems (UAVs), or drones, have become a defining feature of the war in Ukraine, central to both Russian offensive operations and Ukrainian defensive efforts. On the Ukraine side, drone production has become a whole-of-society endeavour and approach as communities have developed and increased their capacity for drone production.

As drone threats now confront the US and its partners in the Middle East, a growing number of states are turning to Ukraine for battlefield-tested, cheaper and more adaptive air-defence solutions. For Europe, the implication is straightforward: the continent cannot afford to rearm while sidelining the only country already operating at the speed and scale new threats demand.

There is key learning for the evolution of warfare now and into the future. How drones are being deployed is a signal of how warfare is being transformed, which will be more digital and less about legacy equipment.

While drones – and to some extent counter-drone technologies – are cheaper and often more effective, the current defence industrial base is not structured for, nor is it capable of, mass drone production, as most investments remain tied to legacy systems. There is likely to be a dramatic tension between traditional security and defence manufacturers whose models haven’t changed and the reality of emerging and future digital warfare.

As European NATO Allies and EU member states rearm at levels not seen since the Cold War, the key question is no longer whether Europe is spending more, but whether it is spending in line with the changing character of warfare.

This Policymakers’ Dinner is an invitation-only event bringing together senior stakeholders from the private, public, and civil society sectors to discuss clear, actionable ways to strengthen European capabilities in drone and counter-drone systems. It is co-organised with U&C UAS.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Shutterstock| Es sarawuth

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Speakers

Štefan Füle is a Czech politician and diplomat who previously served as the Czech Special Envoy to the OSCE and the Western Balkans. Having started his career in the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he worked as Czech Ambassador to Lithuania and to the UK, as well as becoming Czech Permanent Representative to NATO. In 2010, he became the EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy where he was instrumental in setting up and developing the Eastern Partnership with six countries in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus. Füle is a Trustee of Friends of Europe and a member of the Ukraine Initiative Steering Group.

Dharmendra Kanani is Director of Policy & Programmes and Chief Spokesperson at Friends of Europe. Prior to joining Friends of Europe, Dharmendra was director of policy at the European Foundation Centre (EFC). He was the England director at the Big Lottery Fund, the largest independent funder in the UK and fourth largest in the world. Dharmendra has held senior positions in the public and voluntary sectors and advisor to numerous ministerial policy initiatives across the UK.

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