EU unveils Action Plan to Strengthen Drone and Counter-drone Security

The European Commission published the Action Plan on Drone and Counter‑Drone Security on 11 February 2026 and set a blunt operational test: launch a call for expression of interest to Member States and industry to live test and deploy cellular‑based detection, including using 5G antennas as radars. That technical prescription, to use 5G for precise, real‑time tracking of flying objects and to aggregate data into a single air display, creates an immediate planning variable for race organizers who clear practice airspace and seek permissions for events near airports or critical infrastructure.

At its core the Action Plan frames four priorities: enhancing preparedness, boosting detection capacities, coordinating responses and strengthening the EU's defence readiness. The Commission text states the plan “lays out coordinated EU measures for detection, prevention and response to malicious drone activity” and explicitly calls for support to “emerge single air display systems” and to “explore ways to set up an EU drone incident monitoring platform.” Those platforms are aimed at integrating detection, tracking and identification to separate legitimate UAS operations from malicious activity.

The plan also puts law enforcement capabilities at the forefront of operational change. Quoting the Action Plan, the reporting notes that “The objective is to provide law enforcement authorities with the right capacities and training to respond to drone threats and to use drones for public security objectives, such as crowd control.” That language signals potential new training, rules of engagement and authorised equipment that could reshape perimeter policing at large FPV events and championship venues across Member States.

Industrial and supply chain measures are equally explicit. The Commission proposes to “fast‑track new cost‑efficient drone and counter drone products and technologies,” “accelerate industrialisation for defence‑ready technologies,” and to “launch the EU Drone Alliance with Ukraine” to drive an innovative industrial ecosystem. The plan also highlights securing a supply of critical raw materials to underpin scale‑up, a detail that will matter to manufacturers of frames, motors and sensors relied on by competitive teams.

Governance steps are concrete: the Commission will “launch discussions with Member States on the proposed actions and key priorities” based on co‑ownership, will “consider setting up with Member States a strategic mechanism connecting the different dimensions,” and has proposed that Member States appoint National Drone Security Coordinators to foster and oversee national implementation. The Directorate‑General for Defence Industry and Space framed the plan as a united approach against drone threats and labeled the release a concise summary of those measures.

The Action Plan builds on the Commission’s 2023 communication on countering potential drone threats and replaces its midterm review and the drone strategy 2.0, a lineage shaped by airport disruptions, closures in western Europe and the evolution of small unmanned aerial systems in the Russia‑Ukraine conflict. The Commission says it will soon launch the live tests and platform discussions; organizers, manufacturers and pilots will watch for National Drone Security Coordinator appointments and the schedule of 5G detection trials to understand how the new systems will affect race approvals, practice windows and on‑site security procedures.