Eurosatory 2026: Why security agencies are expanding UAS operations across Europe

Once largely confined to specialist police and border security aviation units or deployed on an ad-hoc basis by individual officers, drones are now routinely employed in a structured way for event monitoring, border patrol, search and rescue, disaster response and traffic management.

Agencies are increasingly procuring standardised drone fleets supported by dedicated pilot training and maintenance contracts, operating through centralised command and control (C2) systems. This reflects a growing confidence in the technology and the maturation of European regulatory frameworks governing beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations, as well as the use of drones in heavily populated urban areas.

Technology has also advanced. Public security UAS increasingly combine electro-optical and infrared payloads with automated target tracking, mapping and incident management tools. These capabilities support key missions such as locating missing persons, monitoring large public gatherings and assisting emergency response operations in remote areas.

Border security organisations are among the most sophisticated non-military operators of UAS in Europe. Frontex, the EU’s border and coast guard agency, has continued to expand its use of medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs under long-term service contracts awarded to Airbus and other contractors.

Procurement plans

The agency’s latest procurement plan, confirmed in 2024, has a ceiling value of approximately €190 million and supports maritime surveillance, border monitoring and intelligence-gathering missions. Rather than purchasing equipment directly, Frontex has favoured service-based contracts that provide aircraft, operators, maintenance and mission support as an integrated package, using long-endurance UAS in security missions traditionally performed by crewed patrol aircraft.

In France, the Gendarmerie Nationale has become one of Europe’s largest public security drone operators, fielding more than 650 UAVs across its territorial units. The force has standardised on a mixture of DJI platforms, including the Matrice 300 RTK and Mavic series, together with French-built Parrot systems such as the ANAFI series.

During preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, French authorities integrated drone feeds into the event’s security architecture alongside fixed cameras, command centres and counter-UAS systems. The Games provided a large-scale demonstration of how drones can support crowd monitoring, route security and incident response.

Germany has witnessed a similar expansion at federal state level, with several Bundesländer police forces procuring DJI Matrice 300 and 350 RTK fleets equipped with thermal-imaging payloads and mapping sensors. In the Netherlands, the National Police has expanded its use of DJI Matrice and Parrot ANAFI drones for forensic investigations, accident reconstruction and public order operations.

Tethered systems

Alongside these multicopter types, agencies are evaluating automated systems capable of housing, charging and launching UAS from fixed sites in response to incidents. Tethered systems have also gained traction for monotoring public events, where persistent aerial surveillance can be maintained without repeated launches and recoveries.

Eurosatory 2026 showcases this increasingly diverse public security UAS market. Exhibitors active in this segment include Parrot, whose ANAFI family has been adopted by numerous European police and government agencies; Delair, a supplier of fixed-wing surveillance systems for government and security applications; and Elistair, a specialist in tethered drone technologies used for event security and infrastructure protection. Other exhibitors with public security UAS offerings include Drone Volt, Quantum-Systems and Ondas Airobotics.

Together, they demonstrate how UAS have evolved from niche surveillance assets into an indispensable component of modern public security and law enforcement operations.