The Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed even the smaller member states of the European Union to develop domestic, high-tech defense industries, just as necessity has made Kiev a world leader in cutting-edge unmanned aerial vehicle technology. Many EU countries have collaborated with Kiev to develop this technology, and the front lines in Ukraine often serve as a testing ground for them.
There’s a chance that the eerie whirring of propellers heard on the battlefields of Ukraine may be coming from drones built in Cyprus, a country of just over a million people on the southeastern tip of Europe. Manufacturer Swarmly says more than 200 of its H-10 Poseidon drones are helping Ukrainian artillery batteries identify enemy targets on the ground in all weather conditions, accumulating more than 100,000 flight hours over the past three years.
Its 5,000-square-meter factory has become a major source of drones shipped to countries including Indonesia, Benin, Nigeria, India and Saudi Arabia, according to company officials. Most of the factory floor is reserved for drone production. But hidden in a secure storage area is a selection of Swarmly’s super-fast naval drones, equipped with high-definition cameras and .50-caliber machine guns. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed even smaller European Union member states to develop high-tech, domestic defense industries, just as necessity has made Kiev a world leader in cutting-edge drone technology. Many EU countries have partnered with Kiev to develop this technology, and the front lines in Ukraine often serve as a testing ground for them.
Like Cyprus, the Baltic states and Denmark have accelerated the development of domestic drone and counter-drone technologies. In Greece, drones are part of a 25 billion euro program to modernize its armed forces. “The example of Swarmly, as well as other important companies based in small EU countries, is evidence of the serious effort that the private sector is making in Europe to innovate and build mass production capacities for defense equipment, including unmanned systems,” said Federico Borsari, an expert at the Washington-based Center for European Policy Analysis.
FORCE MULTIPLIER
UAVs are reshaping warfare by giving less militarily powerful countries a slight edge over more powerful adversaries. Drones won’t completely replace expensive weapons like tanks, artillery and fighter jets, Borsari said. But they offer flexibility and great cost-effectiveness, making them formidable force multipliers.
Take Swarmly’s Hydra naval drone, packed with explosives and guided by satellites. Each costs 80,000 euros, meaning using a group of them to neutralize a warship worth a billion euros could be a bargain, said Gary Rafalovsky, the company’s CEO. The naval weapon, which can destroy a much larger ship, has already been seen in attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, according to Fabian Hinz, a researcher on missile and UAV technologies at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Europe. The barriers to entry for companies with little capital are low, he added, because UAVs are often designed and assembled from cheap, readily available components on the global market.
“This, of course, means that you essentially don’t need a huge industrial investment up front, as is required for other military capabilities. You don’t need decades of experience in certain materials sciences or things like that,” Hinz said.
ENTERING THE GAME
In Denmark, two companies focused on counter-drone equipment have reported a significant increase in new customers, and some of the equipment will be sent to Ukraine to help it block Russian technology on the battlefield. Ukraine said in September it was collaborating with Danish companies to build missile and drone components at a factory in Denmark.
In Lithuania, a Baltic country, scientists and business partners have come together under the name VILNIUS TECH to develop UAVs, automated mine detection and other military technologies. The state-owned Giraite ammunition factory says it has increased production capacity by 50% by 2022. Greece first showcased its domestically produced drones and counter-drone technology during a full-scale tactical exercise in November, as NATO urged the European defense sector to step up the pace. “We need capabilities, equipment, real firepower and more advanced technology,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned during a visit to Romania earlier this month. “Bring your ideas, test your ingenuity and use NATO as your proving ground.”
Although drone development is accelerating, Borsari warned that the advantages of UAVs are often limited by numerous variables, such as the difficult conditions in which they sometimes fly, the training and skills of operators, and the depth of logistical support to keep them operational.
EUROPE SWITCHES INTO DEFENSE MODE
Russia’s war in Ukraine and the mixed messages of the Donald Trump administration in the US, which have strained relations with NATO allies, have forced European leaders to confront the need to become more independent in defense. For this reason, the EU has made billions of euros available to encourage investment and strengthen its collective deterrence capability.
This has been a boost for countries like Cyprus, which took over the six-month EU presidency on January 1. Last week, the EU’s executive arm approved financial assistance for eight members, including Spain, Croatia, Portugal, Bulgaria, Belgium, Romania and Cyprus. Cyprus is expected to receive final approval from EU leaders for about 1.2 billion euros in long-term, low-cost loans, under a 150 billion-euro joint procurement program called Security Action for Europe (SAFE).
Its fledgling defense industry already consists of about 30 companies and research centers producing technology for both the civilian and military sectors, including robotics, communication networks, counter-drone systems and even satellite communications and surveillance, said Panayiotis Hadjipavlis, head of the directorate for the development of armaments and defense capabilities at the Cyprus Ministry of Defense.
“We have specialized capabilities in very technologically advanced products and this should be taken seriously,” Hadjipavlis told the AP from his office, where a helmet from his days as a fighter pilot hung on a nearby hanger. He added that major players in the defense industry should also take this into account. (Reuters)