Denmark Ramps Up Counter-Drone Production as NATO Confronts Unprecedented Airspace Intrusions

AALBORG, Denmark – In a warehouse in northern Denmark, more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) from Kyiv, workers are assembling anti-drone technology bound for Ukraine and security-sensitive sites across Europe. Two Danish defense firms report a surge in demand as governments confront unidentified drone flyovers that have disrupted airports and raised alarms across NATO airspace. The buildout comes amid new deployments on the alliance’s eastern flank and plans for a European “drone wall” to detect and intercept aerial threats.

Demand Surges After Drone Flyovers and Battlefield Escalation

Drone warfare has accelerated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with long-range strikes and increasingly sophisticated countermeasures on both sides. In Europe, drone activity reached an unprecedented scale in September, prompting leaders to back a “drone wall” along key borders and intensifying procurement of detection and jamming systems for airports, military installations, and critical infrastructure.

• Copenhagen Airport temporarily shut airspace for hours in September following drone sightings; radar systems were installed ahead of a key EU summit earlier this year.
• Four smaller Danish airports – including two military bases – also reported drone flyovers.
• In November, NATO said a new U.S. anti-drone system was deployed on the alliance’s eastern flank.

While “jamming” is tightly regulated in the EU, it is widespread on Ukraine’s battlefields, where both sides are adapting. Drones are increasingly tethered by fiber-optic cables to bypass radio-frequency disruption, and Russia has launched attack drones with extra antenna to counter Ukrainian jamming.

Danish Firms Scale Up: MyDefence and Weibel Scientific

MyDefence: Wearable Detectors for Frontlines and Infrastructure

Founded in 2013, Denmark’s MyDefence builds handheld and wearable radio-frequency devices designed to sever the link between a drone and its operator. The company says the war in Ukraine marked a strategic inflection point. Chief executive Dan Hermansen called the conflict a “turning point” for the firm, which has delivered more than 2,000 units of its wearable “Wingman” detector to Ukraine since the invasion.

“For the past couple of years, we’ve heard in Ukraine that they want to put machines before people” to save lives, Hermansen said. After the spate of drone flyovers at European airports, he added that the incidents were an “eye-opener” for governments beyond the battlefield, prompting inquiries from police forces and operators of critical infrastructure. “Seeing suddenly that drone warfare is not just something that happens in Ukraine or on the eastern flank, but basically is something that we need to take care of in a hybrid warfare threat scenario,” he added.

MyDefence said it doubled earnings to roughly $18.7 million last year compared to 2023, reflecting the sharp uptick in orders.

Weibel Scientific: Doppler Radar to Spot and Track Drones

North of Copenhagen, Weibel Scientific – a Doppler radar specialist since the 1970s – has repurposed aerospace-grade tracking technology for drone detection. Its systems were deployed at Copenhagen Airport this year, where they can identify an object’s velocity and trajectory based on changes in wavelength, enabling early identification of drones that can be mistaken for birds or aircraft on conventional radar.

“The Ukraine war, and especially how it has evolved over the last couple of years with drone technology, means this type of product is in high demand,” Weibel Scientific CEO Peter Røpke said. Earlier this year, Weibel secured a $76 million contract – the firm’s “largest order ever.” As talks progress around Europe’s proposed “drone wall,” Røpke said the company’s radar could become a “key component” of any future shield.

Europe Hardens Airspace as NATO Deploys New Systems

On NATO’s eastern flank, Denmark, Poland and Romania are deploying the American Merops system, a compact counter-drone platform small enough to fit in a midsize pickup truck. It can identify drones and pursue them using artificial intelligence, even when satellite and electronic communications are jammed. NATO military officials said the objective is to make the border with Russia so well-armed that Moscow would be deterred from contemplating crossing the line from Norway in the north to Turkey in the south.

Some European officials have described recent incursions as potential tests of NATO defenses, underscoring the challenge of detecting small drones and neutralizing them cost-effectively. The Kremlin has rejected allegations that Russia is behind unidentified drone flights in Europe.

Expert View: A Race to Catch Up

Andreas Graae, assistant professor at the Royal Danish Defense College, said there is a “huge drive” to rapidly deploy counter-drone systems amid Russia’s aggression. “All countries in Europe are struggling to find the right solutions to be prepared for these new drone challenges,” he said. “We don’t have all the things that are needed to actually be good enough to detect drones and have early warning systems.”

Conclusion: Intensifying Investments and Evolving Tactics

With anti-drone devices from Denmark heading to Kyiv and European sites, and with the Merops system rolling out along NATO’s eastern flank, Europe is accelerating efforts to counter a fast-evolving aerial threat. The proposed “drone wall”, expanding radar networks, and wearable jamming tools signal a broader shift toward protecting airports, military bases, and critical infrastructure – even as drone technologies on the battlefield adapt to defeat “jamming”. The coming months will test how quickly Europe can scale detection and defense while keeping skies open and secure.