This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler Europe's drone wall – Could it hold back Russia?
Nov 6, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Justin Bronk, a Senior Research Fellow for Airpower & Technology at RUSI, dives into the concept of a 'drone wall' to protect Europe’s Eastern borders. He explores its technical feasibility and the necessary mix of sensors and weapons. Justin also addresses challenges in intercepting cheap drones, comparing costs and technologies like the APKWS-2. The talk highlights the potential for proactive measures in Ukrainian airspace while weighing political repercussions and emphasizing the need for robust air-defense capabilities.
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Drone Wall Is Political, Not Literal
- The 'drone wall' is largely a political concept requiring multi-country coordination rather than a literal impenetrable barrier.
- Technically, achieving complete coverage is fantasy because sensors and interceptors have limits and gaps.
Detection Needs Diverse Sensors
- Effective detection needs a mix of ground radars, AWACS and acoustic systems because radars have a low-flying radar-horizon limit.
- Europe lacks numbers of high-end sensors and many have already been sent to Ukraine, reducing coverage further.
AWACS Helped In Exercises, But Few Available
- The RAF will get three E-7 Wedgetail AWACS in coming years and saw impressive results during Australian exercises.
- Yet three aircraft mean very limited persistent coverage and high demand for each sortie.