NATO announces investments in anti-drone capabilities and surveillance / Five MQ-4C Triton drones will be acquired

Mark Rutte, the Secretary General of NATO, announced at a forum dedicated to the defense industry, ahead of the summit in Ankara, that the Alliance will acquire up to five MQ-4C Triton drones, the first such purchase in NATO's history.

NATO will thus buy up to five Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance drones, with Norway, Finland, Germany, and Denmark signing a letter of intent in this regard.

The allied states will also collaborate on the acquisition, storage, transport, and management of critical defense material reserves, Rutte added.

The Triton drones will complement the existing fleet of RQ-4D Phoenix drones, used for similar missions and operated from the Sigonella airbase in Sicily. These drones, developed on the Northrop Global Hawk platform, have a wingspan of approximately 35.4 meters and can fly for over 30 hours. The NATO summit in Ankara will address, among other things, increasing defense spending, support for Ukraine, and strengthening the defense industry in the context of international instability.

Additionally, the alliance will acquire up to 10 Saab GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to replace its aging fleet of AWACS early warning aircraft, Rutte stated, opting for the Swedish company over the American manufacturer Boeing, according to Reuters.