According to a senior NATO adviser who spoke with US media this week, the effort has been in the works since the beginning of the year and is based on a 2019 handbook outlining the basics of counter-drone tactics for US forces.
Formally dubbed counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), the doctrine will standardize how armies across the NATO alliance fight drones, which have become essential parts of modern warfighting. Armies today use aerial drones for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, search and rescue, and airstrikes, among other tasks, and are increasingly adopting ground and maritime drones as well.
It’s unclear what the contents of the doctrine will be, but based on previous comments by NATO officials, it will aim to incorporate C-UAS into the wider field of air defense, rather than being considered in isolation.
After the Yemeni Houthis used kamikaze drones to get past US air defense systems and attack two major Saudi oil facilities in 2019, the Pentagon launched a major effort to develop both short-range air defense (SHORAD) systems and specifically counter-drone systems, ranging from vehicle modifications to handheld devices for soldiers and even directed-energy weapons on vehicles and warships.