A wave of unexplained drone sightings across Europe has forced multiple airport closures and raised alarm among defense planners, a stark reminder that the skies are no longer safe from shadowy incursions. Airports in Denmark and Germany reported sightings that disrupted civilian flights and raised the possibility of a coordinated “hybrid” campaign targeting critical infrastructure.
The most alarming episodes occurred over Copenhagen and at Denmark’s major military installations, where officials described the flights as the work of a “capable actor” and even floated the possibility the drones were launched from the sea. Authorities deliberately avoided shooting them down for safety reasons, a cautious approach that frustrated security officials and exposed painful gaps in rules of engagement and detection.
Germany has not been spared: flights at Berlin’s major airport were briefly suspended and smaller airports reported incursions, while Munich and Bremen also grappled with reports of unidentified unmanned aircraft. These incidents underline a pattern, not isolated glitches, and they’ve forced European militaries to scramble naval and air-defense assets to better monitor coastal approaches.
NATO and EU ministers are now openly discussing tougher defenses — everything from a coordinated “drone wall” for detection and interception to legal changes allowing infrastructure owners and governments to neutralize threats more readily. This is the kind of common-sense response that should have been in place before adversaries discovered these weak points; policymakers cannot keep treating security as an afterthought.
Across the Atlantic, past drone episodes — including troubling reports of unmanned aircraft near U.S. facilities and widespread tips from concerned citizens — show America is not immune. Federal agencies have previously investigated similar incursions and warned that existing authorities and technology lag behind the new threat environment, which only underscores the need for decisive action now.
Make no mistake: these are not the harmless toys of hobbyists when they violate controlled airspace over airports and military bases. Leadership in Washington and Brussels must stop wringing hands and start equipping defenders with the legal tools and hardware to find, interdict, and, when necessary, destroy these platforms before they gather intelligence or prepare the battlefield. The era of tolerant complacency ended the moment adversaries realized our rules make it easier to probe us than to be probed in return.
Fox News’ national security correspondents, led by experienced Pentagon reporters, have been raising these alarms on air and in reporting, underlining the national security stakes for democracies that refuse to harden their defenses. Journalists like Jennifer Griffin have long focused on the defense beat and are rightly pressing officials for answers about origins, intent, and the steps being taken to close these gaps.
Congress should stop posturing and legislate clear authorities for detection, attribution, and interdiction; defense planners should accelerate maritime patrols, counter-drone systems, and hardened protocols for civilian airports and critical infrastructure. Our adversaries test boundaries when we demonstrate weakness — the appropriate, muscular response is not optional, it is the duty of any government committed to preserving security and sovereignty.
