Following a spate of drone attacks on NATO’s eastern flank and across Europe which unsettled Allies, Poland and Romania have announced they are deploying a new US weapons system to defend against Russian drones.
The Merops (named after a species of bee-eating birds) system is small enough to fit in the back of a pickup truck, identifies drones and close in on them and plugs into AI to navigate when satellite and electronic communications are down, the Associated Press reported.
Merops will also be used by Denmark ewhich was subject to a drone attack, NATO military officials told The AP.
Following the drone attacks, NATO implemented the Eastern Sentry to boost defense along the military alliance’s eastern flank.
The aim of the new system is to bolster NATO’s border with Russia, from Norway, down to the Baltic states, Poland, as well as Romania and Bulgaria and Turkey which don’t share a direct border to deter any more incursions.
In September, some 20 Russian drones flew into Polish airspace. G-16s and other expensive planes were scrambled to intercept them at a high cost for Alliance members.
Romania later reported a drone violated its territory, while airports were shut in Copenhagen, Muncih, Berlin and Brussels over drone incursions.
