Denmark drone incident: NATO plans to increase presence in Baltic, Germany to defend itself against drones threat

In the following days last week, at least five smaller Danish airports, both civilian and military apart from Copenhagen airport, were shut down temporarily after unidentified drones were observed in their airspace. In response to the incidents in the Danish territory, NATO said it will “conduct even more enhanced vigilance with new multi-domain assets in the Baltic Sea region,” Reuters reported.

The military alliance stated the new assets include “intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms and at least one air-defence frigate.” The new assets are set to enhance NATO’s “Baltic Sentry” mission which was launched in January after a series of incidents wherein power cables, telecom links and gas pipelines at the bottom of the Baltic Sea were damaged.

NATO had earlier launched its “Eastern Sentry” mission this month in order to enhance the defence of Europe’s eastern flank after Russian drone incursions were reported from Poland’s airspace and Warsaw had allegedly shot down Moscow’s drones with NATO’s aid.

Germany is also planning to take steps in order to defend itself against “high” threats from drones, country’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Saturday.

“There is a threat that can be classified as high when it comes to drones. It is an abstract threat, but very concrete in individual cases,” Dobrindt said in Berlin.

(with inputs from Reuters)