NATO shifts from air policing to comprehensive 360-degree air defence strategy
NATO is replacing its traditional air policing missions with a multi-layered, 360-degree air defence concept to counter rising drone and missile threats.
NATO officials announced a transition from conventional air policing to a comprehensive, 360-degree air defence posture that blends fighter readiness with ground-based systems, drone-jamming tools, mobile strike units, helicopters and advanced sensor networks. The shift responds to an uptick in Russian drone penetrations of NATO airspace, which have forced repeated fighter scrambles and, in one recent incident, the downing of a drone above Lithuania that likely entered from Belarus.
The alliance’s earlier air policing missions, established during the Cold War, have expanded across Europe, especially in the Baltic region. The new approach, first piloted through the Eastern Sentry operation, integrates capabilities across all operational domains to counter piloted aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and both cruise and ballistic missiles. Member states are now deploying the necessary assets to support this updated defence model.
Why it matters
The overhaul expands NATO's ability to protect member airspace against increasingly diverse aerial threats.
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