NATO technologies for protection against Russian air attacks are outdated – “like in the 80s”

According to experts, a significant part of the Polish border could be protected with the help of a drone wall. This concept in the context of security became relevant after the invasion of Russian drones into NATO space.

A few days later, after the drone incident, the main question in Europe focused on Russia’s intentions and NATO’s ability to respond to such threats. CNN reported this on September 21, 2025. According to Poland, the invasion was a deliberate test of the alliance’s defense capabilities, which for Russia became a low-cost experiment.

Western technologies did not account for asymmetric drone threats

During the attack, Polish police discovered debris from “Gerbera” type drones, made of plastic and wooden materials, with an estimated cost of about ten thousand dollars per unit. In contrast, the cost of NATO aircraft deployed to counter the drones is calculated in millions of dollars. Thus, the show of force, costing tens of thousands of dollars in fuel, is not effective.

RUSI researcher Robert Tollast noted that such cost asymmetry makes the defense issue significantly more complex.

Despite NATO demonstrating effectiveness against mass attacks using drones and missiles, as was the case last April in Israel, the costs of such defense can exceed a billion dollars, making it quite problematic.

Tollast emphasized that before the “Ukrainian crisis,” Western technologies did not account for asymmetric drone threats.

However, some experts are confident that the threat is acknowledged, but NATO countries have slow adaptation processes. MARSS CEO Johannes Pinl also reported that a significant part of the Polish border could be covered with a quality drone wall system. CNN explains that a “drone wall” represents a multi-layered network for detecting and neutralizing drones. This idea is supported by both the Baltic countries and representatives of the European Union.

Pinl reminds that the alliance’s procurement systems remain at the level of the 1980s. He mentioned an existing interceptor from MARSS with artificial intelligence, ready for active use, but its specification has not yet been approved in Europe.

Tollast highlighted an important lesson learned from the conflict in Ukraine, which is the need for experimentation.

The key to effective drone defense should be a combination of expensive means, such as the F-35 and Patriot systems, and more affordable solutions, such as drone interceptors.

Nevertheless, CNN points to the problem of production volume. According to estimates by Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia is currently producing 5,500 units of its drones per month. This month, a record number of launches was carried out: more than 800 drones in one night.

Shooting down Russian drones over Poland – what is known

Aviation expert Anatoly Khrapchinsky stated that Poland spent more than a million dollars to destroy the drones. However, such expenses do not seem excessive.

According to Khrapchinsky, the full picture of the events is not entirely clear, as some data remains closed to the public.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that Russian drones over Poland send important signals to NATO. He believes that Putin’s actions demonstrate a test of the alliance’s readiness. Zelensky also emphasized that this is a reminder that NATO should not provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems, as they may be needed by the Europeans themselves.