EU Announces First Two 'European Drone Technology Hubs' at NATO FUSE in Latvia... Dombrovskis: "Russia's Threats Will Not Succeed"

Latvia

European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis joined the announcement of the establishment of the European Union's first two pilot "European Drone Technology Hubs" during his keynote speech at NATO's "FUSE 2026" event held in Latvia on October 30, 2026 (local time). The two hubs will open in 2027. The first will be located at the Sēlija military training area in Latvia, and the second in Scheveningen, the Netherlands. Commissioner Dombrovskis noted that he was also making this announcement on behalf of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and the "Priority Capability Area on Drones and Counter-Drone Systems." FUSE stands for "Federated Unified Sensing and Effects" and is an experimentation event led by NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT). Allied military operators and defense industry representatives gather to test whether emerging technologies and equipment from different nations can actually operate together. NATO announced that the experimentation took place in Latvia over approximately two weeks. The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia announced that the FUSE event was held on October 30 at the Ādaži military base near the capital, Riga.

Commissioner Dombrovskis Pointed Directly to Russia's Drone and Missile Threats

At the beginning of his speech, Commissioner Dombrovskis stated, "Our skies have become a battlefield." He continued, "First and foremost, on Europe's frontline in Ukraine, where air defense systems battle night and day against waves of Russian drones and missiles," adding, "This is also true across the entire Eastern Flank, from the Baltic to the Black Sea." He went on to say, "Russian incursions are increasingly reaching deep into EU and NATO territory," emphasizing, "Their intent is clear: to test, to provoke, to intimidate. We are determined that they will not succeed." He stated that capabilities must be rapidly scaled up to counter these threats, and defense capabilities must be rebuilt to deter aggression in the first place. On the same day, Commissioner Dombrovskis posted on his X account: "Europe’s skies have become battlefields. Russia seeks to intimidate. It will not succeed," noting that he welcomed the announcement of the first two European Drone Technology Hubs at the FUSE event. In his speech, he remarked that this network of hubs would serve as a platform to take drone technology "from the lab to the field, faster."

The Two Hubs Will Open in Sēlija, Latvia and Scheveningen, Netherlands in 2027

According to Commissioner Dombrovskis, the two hubs will serve as sites to develop, test, and evaluate new land, maritime, and air drone military concepts and technologies under operational conditions. The Sēlija military training area in Latvia—referred to as "Selonia" in the Commission's English speech—already hosts one of NATO's drone and counter-drone technology "Innovation Ranges," and the new hub will focus on land and air drones as well as counter-drone technologies. The Scheveningen hub in the Netherlands will focus on naval capabilities, seabed security, harbor defense, and the protection of critical undersea infrastructure. Commissioner Dombrovskis stated that while the two hubs focus on different domains, they share the same goal: accelerating the development, testing, and deployment of effective drone and counter-drone solutions. He called the announcement a concrete step toward a "European Drone Technology Hub Network" that brings together member states, industry, researchers, and military users. He emphasized that the EU's Drone Technology Hubs and NATO's Innovation Ranges must operate "hand-in-hand" to avoid duplication and ensure system interoperability.

A Priority Capability Area is a designated focus area where the EU bundles key military capabilities that member states must collectively address. Commissioner Dombrovskis stated that the Priority Capability Area on Drones and Counter-Drones is fast-tracking two priorities: speeding up joint procurement and delivery of critical capabilities, and accelerating innovation, operational testing, and the rapid scale-up of proven technologies. He commended the five nations leading the "Capability Coalition" in this area: Latvia, Croatia, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Spain. He also introduced the "DECODER" project. DECODER is one of the first five "European Defence Projects of Common Interest" designated under the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). European Defence Projects of Common Interest refer to large-scale military capability and industrial projects pursued jointly by multiple member states. DECODER assists European nations in building, scaling up, and deploying drones and systems and technologies designed to counter hostile drones. Ukraine also participates in DECODER.

The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia introduced Dombrovskis as the Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Implementation and Simplification, announcing that he presented the establishment of the two centers on behalf of the EU. According to the Ministry, the Latvian center will be equipped with facilities to develop and test solutions to detect, track, and neutralize unmanned aerial and ground systems, focusing on validating technology effectiveness, interoperability, and the ability to respond to rapidly evolving threats. The Ministry stated that this center is linked to the "Drone and Counter-Drone European Resolve" (DECODER) project and will also be tasked with establishing common testing and evaluation methodologies so that militaries from different nations can utilize diverse systems interoperably. Latvia serves as a co-lead of this initiative. Through the Latvian Ministry of Defence, Commissioner Dombrovskis stated, "Europe’s security begins with our ability to act together and with determination," adding, "Our freedom and democratic values cannot be taken for granted; they require continuous readiness, bold action, and unwavering solidarity."

One day prior, on October 29, the Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands announced that Dutch Chief of Defence (CDS) General Onno Eichelsheim first presented the Drone Technology Hubs initiative on behalf of the EU and NATO at the FUSE conference. According to the Dutch Ministry of Defence, 28 nations are participating in this hub initiative, and the Scheveningen hub will expand the existing "SeaSEC" initiative—which addresses surface and underwater security such as the protection of cables and pipelines—with EU subsidies. General Eichelsheim remarked, "NATO fights the fight, and Europe helps build the right tools," adding, "Only when Europe collaborates does our military capability gain momentum." In response to concerns that "what you buy today is obsolete tomorrow," he proposed a "Drones as a Service" model. Under this model, industry continuously delivers updates and upgrades alongside drones, allowing customers to purchase in smaller quantities while paying for continuous innovation. The Dutch Ministry of Defence stated that this drone initiative is one of the EU's nine defense priorities, and the Netherlands co-leads both the drone and counter-drone domain and the military mobility domain.

EU-27 Defense Spending Rose 20% to €418 Billion in 2025

Commissioner Dombrovskis stated that the EU's "Defence Readiness Agenda" aims to unlock up to €800 billion in defense investments. This includes "SAFE," a €150 billion loan instrument designed to support investments in critical areas such as missile defense, drones, and cybersecurity. The €7.3 billion European Defence Fund supports projects by EU companies developing innovative and interoperable defense technologies and equipment. He noted that Latvian industry and research institutions are participating in more than 30 cross-border European defense research and development projects. Early next year, the European Commission will launch "AGILE," a new instrument to accelerate the path of innovative defense technologies from development to the battlefield. AGILE will support market entry for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startups, and scale-ups.

He said the EU has introduced flexibility into fiscal rules to create fiscal space for member states to increase defense investments, and member states are utilizing this leeway. According to Commissioner Dombrovskis, defense spending by the 27 EU member states reached €418 billion in 2025, up 20% from 2024, and is projected to rise further to €454 billion in 2026. He noted that host nation Latvia's defense spending is set to reach 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) next year, putting Latvia at the forefront of this collective effort. He stated, "Boosting defense is not just about spending more; it is about spending smarter and spending together."

Cooperation with Ukraine was also featured in the address. Commissioner Dombrovskis stated that the EU has provided more than €230 billion in financial support to Ukraine since February 2022, maintaining its position as Ukraine's largest international donor. He noted that Ukraine's drone warfare expertise and capabilities have been at the center of its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion, and its battlefield experience can accelerate EU innovation. The EU established the "EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance," an industry-driven platform connecting EU and Ukrainian companies for joint development and production. Commissioner Dombrovskis said the goal is to sign the "EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Agreement" by the end of this year. This agreement aims to facilitate the creation of joint ventures, technology transfers, and the integration of Ukraine's defense industry into the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base.

Chair of the NATO Military Committee Called for Deploying Multinational Counter-Drone Systems to the Eastern Flank Next Year

According to NATO, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, also attended the Distinguished Visitors Day of the FUSE experimentation event on the same day. The NATO Military Committee is the Alliance's senior military body, composed of the Chiefs of Defence of Allied nations. Admiral Cavo Dragone stated, "Ukraine has taught us that adaptation cycles are now measured in weeks, not years," adding, "Next year, I want to see sensor-to-shooter connections against swarms of drones, working across multiple national systems and deployed with our forces on the Eastern Flank." He affirmed that the Military Committee will provide clear military advice to help align political decisions and national investments quickly in the same direction. NATO announced that Allies, military operators, and the defense industry, led by ACT, tested interoperability by combining digital backbone connectivity, counter-drone defense, and next-generation targeting technologies, and that the next phase involves evaluating findings, identifying remaining challenges, and determining follow-up actions with Allies.

In an announcement on October 21, the Latvian Ministry of Defence stated that this year's experimentation was the largest test of emerging defense technologies in NATO's history. The experimentation ran simultaneously across three tracks: the "Digital Backbone Experiment" (DiBaX 2026), testing next-generation communications; the "Layered Counter-drone Initiative" (LCI-X), testing sensors and effectors; and "Next Generation Targeting" (NGT), addressing deep strike capabilities. The locations were the Ādaži military base and the Sēlija military base, which have hosted the experiments since 2022. According to the Ministry, the number of participating partners this year roughly tripled compared to previous years, with nearly 100 defense industry companies from some 20 nations participating alongside Allied military representatives. Latvian Minister of Defence Raivis Melnis stated, "The DiBaX experiment, held in Latvia for the fifth consecutive year, proves our ability to provide an environment for testing and developing the latest defense technologies across diverse conditions."

The U.S. Embassy in Latvia stated that General Alexus G. Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) and Commander of U.S. European Command (USEUCOM), visited Latvia, meeting with President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže, and Minister of Defence Raivis Melnis, and also attended the FUSE event. SACEUR is the senior military commander directing NATO military operations in Europe. The Embassy stated, "As European Allies assume greater responsibility for their own security, Latvia is leading by example through increased defense investments, military modernization, and innovation," adding that such efforts strengthen NATO's capability to defend "every inch" of Allied territory.

On the same day, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia posted on X that the NATO digital interoperability experiment "DiBAX" concluded with a demonstration of cutting-edge defense technologies at the FUSE event. The Ministry stated that this marked the fifth year DiBAX was held in Latvia, and that NATO's top military leadership attended the final demonstration.

Sources (KST)

• European Commission, "Keynote speech by Commissioner Dombrovskis at NATO FUSE event" (SPEECH/26/2291, October 30, 2026): https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/speech_26_2291
• NATO, "Chair of the NATO Military Committee visits NATO FUSE in Riga" (October 30, 2026, datelined Riga): https://www.nato.int/en/news-and-events/articles/news/2026/10/30/chair-of-the-nato-military-committee-visits-nato-fuse-in-riga
• Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, "EU drone and counter-drone technology centre to be developed at the Sēlija Military Training Area" (October 30, 2026): https://www.mod.gov.lv/en/news/eu-drone-and-counter-drone-technology-centre-be-developed-selija-military-training-area
• Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, "NATO's Largest-Ever Experiment on New Defence Technologies Underway in Latvia" (October 21, 2026): https://www.mod.gov.lv/en/news/natos-largest-ever-experiment-new-defence-technologies-underway-latvia
• Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands, "Innovatiehubs om Europa sneller en beter tegen drones te beschermen" (October 29, 2026): https://www.defensie.nl/nieuws/20261029-innovatiehubs-om-europa-sneller-en-beter-tegen-drones-te-beschermen
• Post by EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis on X (October 30, 2026): https://x.com/VDombrovskis/status/2116081676757438742
• Post by U.S. Embassy Riga on X (October 30, 2026): https://x.com/USEmbassyRiga/status/2116163023853191217
• Post by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia on X (October 30, 2026): https://x.com/AizsardzibasMin/status/2116204839910752423