Europe risks losing control of CUAS production capacity as manufacturers look abroad
Drone operator training in Latvia in July 2026. (Photo: European Defence Agency)
European counter-drone developers are securing early orders in the Middle East while slow domestic acquisition processes threaten to redirect production capacity, expertise and investment away from Europe.
European defence companies developing counter-uncrewed aerial systems (CUAS) based on lessons learned in Ukraine are securing their first military orders outside the continent, as long-running acquisition processes have been preventing regional demand from translating into near-term production contracts.
This is the case of the Czech industrial group S-Tech, which has received its first orders for the Murmus mobile CUAS system from undisclosed Middle Eastern states and is carrying out deliveries in 2026.
The company’s CEO, Anna Ruzickova, told Shephard that although the strongest demand for those capabilities is in Europe, “the strongest demand that becomes deliveries this year is in
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