NATO allies seek to give top commander more freedom to shoot down drones
NATO member states plan to grant the alliance's supreme military commander greater leeway to counter drones, responding to rising aerial threats on the Eastern Flank.
According to two NATO diplomats and one alliance official, member countries want to expand the top commander's authority to shoot down drones by next month's leaders' summit in Ankara. U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, would gain more flexibility to set military alert levels and shift air defense assets without formal approval.
The alliance has faced a growing number of aerial threats, including drone swarms entering Poland and Romania, airspace violations in Estonia, and suspicious drones over Latvia. These incidents have caused damage and injuries, and stirred political tensions in Eastern Flank countries.
Currently, NATO members dictate rules for how and where national weapons can be used. The new proposal, expected to be approved at the July 7-8 summit, would allow Grynkewich to reposition assets across the alliance and set readiness levels of military equipment without seeking formal consent. It would also formally integrate NATO's ballistic air defense systems with fighter jet air policing missions on the Eastern Flank, shifting them to air defense missions.
Some allies have long complained that national caveats create a patchwork of rules and hinder Grynkewich's ability to quickly eliminate aerial threats. Debates on lifting these constraints have intensified since October due to growing drone incursions, and the launch of Iranian ballistic missiles toward Turkey earlier this year added further urgency for an alliance-wide approach. According to the official, Grynkewich presented his proposals for enhanced flexibility to the 32 ambassadors earlier this year.
