For more on the emerging AI defense race, see Seeking Alpha’s analysis of AI and drone investments.
1,850-Mile “Drone Wall”
The urgency of this deployment follows multiple drone incursions into NATO airspace. In early September, Poland scrambled multimillion-dollar fighter jets to intercept about 20 Russian drones—each worth only a fraction of the aircraft used to stop them. Romania faced similar incidents, while airports in Copenhagen, Munich, Berlin, and Brussels were temporarily closed following drone sightings.
“The Merops system gives us very accurate detection,” said Col. Mark McLellan, assistant chief of staff for operations at NATO Allied Land Command. “It’s able to target the drones and take them down at a low cost. It’s a lot cheaper than flying an F-35 to take them down with a missile.”
The Drone Wall project envisions a network stretching from Norway to Poland, providing a continuous “early-warning barrier” and integrating advanced AI, sensors, and command systems.
AI-driven Drones Against Drones
According to McLellan, Merops functions as “drones against drones,” capable of directly intercepting threats or passing targeting data to other NATO forces. Brig. Gen. Thomas Lowin, NATO’s deputy chief of staff for operations, said the system gives commanders critical decision time: “It allows us to assess the threat and decide, to shoot or not shoot.”
