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Counter-Drone Defenses Face Readiness Gaps
Coverage from Atlantic Council, ICAO, and others
Governments, militaries, airports, and infrastructure operators are expanding counter-drone defenses after incursions and attacks expose weaknesses in conventional air-defense systems.
The emerging approach favors layered architectures that combine radar, radio-frequency sensing, electronic warfare, visual and acoustic detection, guns, interceptor drones, and high-end missiles rather than relying on a single system. Adoption remains constrained by the cost and replenishment limits of missile interceptors, incomplete coverage, safety risks around civilian airspace, and unresolved legal and coordination requirements.
The story has shifted from broad counter-drone expansion toward implementation of integrated, networked airspace-security systems. New U.S. legal and interagency measures are widening participation beyond federal agencies while emphasizing operator identification, authorization, training, and oversight.
The story now places stronger emphasis on the economic and logistical unsustainability of using high-end missile defenses against cheap drone swarms, making the layered-defenses argument more urgent. It also broadens the civilian-policy side with clearer references to fragmented authorities and new guidance and procurement activity in the US and Europe.