Technology

Timely and necessary: inside Nato's plans to build a drone wall

European leaders have set out plans to build a drone wall to protect Nato's eastern flank - here's everything we know about the project so far

European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, have recently backed plans to construct a drone wall, with Mr Rutte describing the move as "timely and necessary" in the face of repeated incursions by UAVs into the alliance's eastern flank.

But what exactly is a drone wall? While the phrase might conjure images of a vertical swarm of UAVs, the reality is quite different – rather, it's been described as a system of systems designed to protect European nations from unwanted advances that have grounded flights at major airports.

The defensive system is likely to encompass a variety of different elements, from advanced early warning systems and radar to air defence missile systems and anti-aircraft machine guns and even lasers.

BFBS Forces News Reporter Kirstie Chambers has everything we know about the drone wall so far and the wishlist for its 'construction'.