WIREDGOV

A dedicated multinational NATO squadron of armed jet trainers could shoot down Russian drone incursions without burning through frontline fighters and scarce air-to-air missiles.

There has been a steady increase in incursions by Russian (and sometimes accidentally by Ukrainian) one-way attack (OWA) and decoy drones into NATO member states’ airspace over the past 18 months. In September 2025, a pair of Royal Netherlands Air and Space Force F-35As shot down several Russian Geran or Gerbera drones over Polish territory, probably using AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided missiles. During breaches of Romanian airspace, Romanian Air Force F-16s shot down at least three drones in July, and a Spanish F/A-18 shot down a Russian drone in August. In September, Italian Air Force Eurofighters shot down an unknown drone in Lithuania. The Ukrainian Air Force (UkrAF) F-16 fleet has shot down well over 1,000 OWA drones since its introduction in 2024, but this heavy tasking has rapidly used up available airframe fatigue life leading to maintenance backlogs, and the UkrAF is now facing serious shortages of air-to-air missiles.

The problem is clear: regular OWA drone interception patrols and scrambles are not a sustainable use of expensive frontline fast jet capacity, flying hours and limited stocks of high-end air-to-air missiles. Fast jet squadrons and associated missile stocks are already heavily tasked across Europe and are arguably the most critical capability set for deterring direct Russian aggression in the coming years. Alternative means to sustainably intercept and shoot down Russian drone incursions are urgently required, to allow high-end fighters and missile stocks to be preserved for mission sets that only they can fulfil.

A multinational squadron dedicated to drone-interception duties under a NATO banner offers an obvious solution that could be rapidly created and deployed if prioritised by senior military and political leaders.

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