The European Commission today allocated an additional 130 million euros for anti-drone systems. The funding is part of the European Union's efforts to improve surveillance at external borders and respond more effectively to emerging security threats, BTA reports.
The EC indicates that nearly 420 million euros have been allocated so far for surveillance drones intended for the European border agency “Frontex“. The new funding brings the total amount of funding for drone tracking and counter-drone technologies to over half a billion euros, the Commission said in a statement.
Earlier this year, the European Union took action to monitor and protect airspace and critical infrastructure from malicious drone threats. As part of this effort, a centre of excellence was set up to support innovation in this area.
The European Commission also noted that under the budget for common defence projects, EU countries plan to organise joint procurement of anti-drone systems.