ANKARA, July 7. /TASS/. Twenty NATO members will join the alliance's Drone Edge initiative, investing $40 billion in the production of drones and counter-drone systems over the next five years, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at the Defense Industry Forum on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.
"Today, we are launching the NATO Drone Edge initiative. Through this initiative, allies are investing over $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years. And because the capabilities require that we have the right people to operate them, allies are also committing to train five times as many drone operators in their armed forces by the end of 2027," he stated.
According to Rutte, 20 NATO countries are participating in the initiative, which have already created 16 drone operator training centers and will soon launch a commercial platform to procure drone-control capabilities.
