Europe Needs Low-Cost Drones for Air Defense

Every Patriot interceptor fired from US defense positions costs $4 million (€3.7m). In contrast, Iranian Shahed drones cost tens of thousands of euros.

Bruegel’s senior fellow Guntram Wolff and co-author Alexandr Burilkov argue that precision drones and missiles, now affordable to many, pose a significant challenge. Unlike Israel and the US, Europe faces a greater threat from Russia, which has a substantial air force and advanced defenses.

Ukraine’s experience highlights the importance of organizing air defense cost-effectively. European defense startups, like Estonian Frankenburg Technologies and Ukrainian-UK Uforce, are developing low-cost solutions.

Bruegel suggests Europe focus on building deep-strike offensive capabilities to target Russia’s industrial base directly, reducing reliance on expensive interceptors.

"Reverse the current asymmetry," Bruegel reports, advocating for low-cost munitions and offensive strikes to degrade Russia's production.