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Bloomberg
The European Union will propose the use of so-called trusted semiconductors in drone systems as part of its upcoming strategy aimed at ramping up drone production for both civilian and defence purposes.
The EU proposal, which is expected to be presented next week, will push for chips that are secure and resistant to tampering or cyber threats, according to people familiar with the proposal, which could still be modified.
The EU has been rushing to compile a drone strategy following an increasing number of airspace violations.
Last September, Nato scrambled fighter jets to shoot down 19 Russian drones that entered Polish airspace. That was the first time a Nato member shot down military aircraft in its airspace since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last year, the European Commission proposed building a “drone wall” an idea met with scepticism by some member states as well as front-loading €6 billion ($7.1 billion) of a loan from Group of Seven countries to enter into a drone alliance with Kyiv.
A request for comment sent to a spokesperson from the commission wasn’t immediately returned.
The new EU strategy will seek to adapt regulations to the novel threat posed by drones, including stress-testing the security of critical infrastructures to intrusions, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. It will aim to strengthen the EU’s resilience, production and innovation to counter drone threats.
The EU will try to accelerate the drone alliance with Ukraine, which had been previously touted but not yet launched, said the people. It will also convene an industrial forum before the summer to better support the ramp-up of production as well as to establish a centre for counter-drone research and development by early 2027.
Separately, the bloc wants to launch a large-scale, yearly EU drone security exercise and establish rapid counter-drone emergency teams by the autumn to increase cooperation and assistance between member states in the event of further threats, according to the people.
The EU will ask member states to choose a drone security coordinator to check the implementation of the action plan, which will also be open to partners including the UK and Norway, among others, said the people.
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