European Nations Deploy AI Systems to Counter Drone Threats
The Netherlands and Denmark are deploying AI-powered command-and-control software to integrate drone defenses and counter evolving aerial threats in Ukraine and NATO territories.
European defense efforts are shifting toward AI-driven integration to combat drone warfare. In Ukraine, Intelic, an Amsterdam-based software company, is deploying its Nexus command-and-control software to integrate disparate drone systems from various vendors. The software acts as a connecting tissue for Ukrainian forces, supplementing the existing Delta battlefield management system to reduce response times against high-altitude Russian drones.
Nexus recently underwent successful testing at a disused Dutch airbase in Katwijk aan Zee, where it coordinated radar detection, AI verification, and the launch of an interceptor drone. This deployment is supported by a 30-million-euro contract from the Dutch Defence Ministry, part of a broader 12.5-billion-euro military aid package to Ukraine since 2022. The urgency follows reports from Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi that Russian jet-propelled drones killed 288 people in early September.
Simultaneously, Denmark has signed a first-of-its-kind NATO contract with Systematic for an AI-powered command-and-control system based on the SitaWare Suite. The system uses computer vision and automatic anomaly detection to provide military and civilian agencies with a shared operational picture. Designed for both domestic use and multinational cooperation, the Danish system aims to facilitate intelligence sharing with allies and the Joint Expeditionary Force.
