Global Scans · Drones · Weekly Summary

• [New] The European Commission and High Representative have presented a new Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030, outlining plans for a European Drone Defence Initiative that is expected to be operational by the end of 2027. Publyon
• [New] Yearly commercial drone flights are projected to grow to 60 million by 2043. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Ukraine has become a crucible for drone warfare innovation, projected to deploy nearly five million drones into active combat in 2025. The Chronicle-Journal
• [New] The Pentagon needs to embrace a portfolio approach: expensive interceptors for high-value threats, cheap munitions and directed energy for drone swarms, and hardened defences for critical assets. DroneXL.co
• [New] The European Union is unveiling its Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 - a major plan to boost investment and strengthen security, including a proposed drone wall to guard against potential Russian attacks. DW.COM
• [New] The Octopus interceptor, a proven system against Shahed-type attack drones, will become the foundation of the so-called European drone wall to deter further Russian aerial threats. Defense News
• [New] According to Versaterm's 2025 Public Safety Trends Survey, 61% of police leaders expect their drone budgets to increase over 2026, with top priorities including search and rescue missions, large event security and drone-as-first-responder programs. Voyageur Group
• [New] Drone coalition, led by the UK together with Latvia, will provide Ukraine with about 35,000 interceptor drones to fight Russian Shaheds. Ukraine's Arms Monitor
• [New] NATO has launched a new mission and beefed up forces on its eastern border, but it is playing catch-up as it tries to tap Ukraine's experience and get to grips with the drone threat from Moscow. Space War
• [New] Ukrainian drone engineers kicked into action and started redesigning their quadcopters into drones that could take down Shaheds. Business Insider
• [New] The European Drone Defence Initiative is expected to link research and development with production capacity, drawing on Ukrainian experience to improve interoperability and resilience. DRONELIFE
• [New] The European Union will encourage its member states to jointly procure drone and air defence equipment as part of a five-year strategy to rearm and deter Russia. Mint
• [New] A European Drone Defense Initiative will create a system to counter unmanned aerial vehicles, with initial capacity by the end of 2026 and full functionality by the end of 2027. Courthouse News Service
• [New] Earlier in 2025, the Kremlin launched a government plan to train 1.5 million drone operators by 2030, integrating drone use into the fabric of Russia's military, educational, and industrial systems. New Eastern Europe
• [New] As the Defence Secretary, John Healey, recently disclosed, Britain is to mass-produce the drones that will defend Nato's eastern flank from the incursion of Russian jets: a drone wall. UnHerd
• [New] The creation of the drone wall could be tied to NATO's new defence spending targets. Forbes
• [New] The Pentagon and defence industry are racing to develop affordable counter-drone technologies to combat the growing threat of cheap, lethal tactical drones used by adversaries and potential terrorists. The Washington Times
• Russian forces continue to rely on small infantry-led infiltration tactics to bypass Ukrainian defences and are increasingly relying on unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) to mitigate logistical challenges caused by the pervasive threat of Ukrainian drone strikes. Critical Threats
• The Trump administration is launching a $500 million initiative to enhance US airspace security against drones, focusing on the upcoming FIFA World Cup and other major events, by aiding local authorities in detecting and neutralizing drone threats. ANews
• The European Union backed plans for a drone wall along its borders with Russia and Ukraine, seeking to bolster defences after the spate of airspace incursions exposed NATO's vulnerability to cheap, highly lethal drone technology. Defense.info

Last updated: 02 November 2025