European plans for a so-called "drone wall" along NATO's eastern border are set to create opportunities for both European and foreign defense firms, but will also likely face major constraints in terms of cost, scale and cross-border integration that will leave European air defenses exposed to Russian threats for the foreseeable future. On Sept. 26, representatives from 10 EU member states from central, northern and eastern Europe met with officials from the European Commission and Ukraine to discuss proposals for a "drone wall" along NATO's eastern border following a series of increasingly brazen airspace violations by Russian fighter jets and drones in recent weeks. Lithuania first floated the "drone wall" concept in May 2023, later joined by Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Norway and Finland in 2024. A joint Estonian-Lithuanian request for EU funding was rejected earlier this year. Momentum shifted sharply after Russia's Sept. 9 drone incursions into Poland, prompting European...
