With Resolution 2025/2088, adopted on 22 January 2026, the European Parliament officially recognises how drones have redefined modern warfare and calls on theUnion to adapt its security apparatus in a rapid and structured manner.

Drones as a factor in military transformation

In light of the experience of the conflict in Ukraine, the European Parliament recognises thatunmanned systems areno longer mere support tools, but central components of high-intensity conflicts and hybrid threats. Their widespread and transversal use has a decisive impact on operational dynamics, necessitating a profound revision of European military doctrines.

Defence of infrastructure and internal security

TheEU strategy is not limited to the military domain, but includes the protection of critical civil infrastructures, which are now exposed to credible and low-cost threats. Airports, energy networks, ports and logistical nodes are vulnerable to saturation attacks, capable of producing effects disproportionate to the means deployed.

C-UAS Capacity Building

Therefore, the resolution promotes the development of C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems ) capabilities, i.e. integrated systems for detecting, tracking and neutralising hostile drones. Radar, acoustic sensors, electro-optical systems and electronic warfare capabilities must work in a coordinated manner to ensure effective defence.

Population protection and civil-military integration

A particularly important element of the resolution concerns the civil dimension of defence against drones, which can no longer be considered separate from the military one. It emphasises the need to integrate capabilities for countering unmanned systems within national civil protection and resilience strategies.

Coordination and preparation of the population

This includes early warning systems for the population, clear alert procedures and the availability of protected spaces (sheltering) in the vicinity of critical infrastructure and exposed urban areas. The response to drone threats must therefore be based on structured coordination between armed forces, civil authorities, police forces, infrastructure operators and emergency services.

Industrial autonomy and supply chains

A central passage of the European strategy concerns the technological dependencies that characterise the ecosystem of drones and defence systems. A significant share of critical components continues to come from outside the EU, exposing the Union to structural vulnerabilities that have a direct impact on operational readiness.

Technological sovereignty and operational security

Batteries, semiconductors and rare earths are of strategic importance in this context, as demonstrated by recent export restrictions and tensions in supply chains. The resolution therefore calls for a coordinated industrial response, aimed at strengthening domestic production capacity and reducing critical dependencies.

The role of Ukraine and international cooperation

The new European strategy gives a central role toUkraine as a strategic partner, recognising the value ofoperational experience gained on the ground in a high-intensity conflict context. Lessons learned contribute directly to the evolution of European capabilities, in particular through joint training initiatives and forms of shared industrial development.

Structural integration and NATO interoperability

The resolution proposes structural integration at the industrial, doctrinal and training levels, aimed at systematically incorporating the practices developed in Ukraine. At the same time, the strategy reaffirms thatinteroperability with NATO remains an indispensable pillar of European security.

A strategic choice that cannot be postponed

Resolution 2025/2088 sends an unequivocal political message: adaptation to drone warfare is no longer optional. Defence, industry and the regulatory framework are called upon to evolve in a coordinated manner, because time has now become a real strategic variable. In this path, the experience gained in the conflict in Ukraine is taken as the main operational reference, useful to guide the evolution of European capabilities and to validate doctrines, technologies and deployment models. On the capacity for implementation will depend the very credibility of European security in the new geopolitical context.