Killer Drones and Open Bases: NATO’s Achilles’ Heel Is Exposed

When Ukraine skillfully and economically attacked four Russian air bases with drones at the beginning of June, it was not just a military operation.

It was a tactical masterstroke and a strategic revelation. At least 12 Russian aircraft were confirmed destroyed or damaged.

Now the world’s eyes turn to NATO countries’ own bases – and the picture that emerges is anything but reassuring.

Unprotected Billions

On Russian soil, the bombers were exposed on the runways. Just like the $2 billion B-2 bombers are on Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

The planes are technological marvels, but without physical protection, they are vulnerable to relatively inexpensive drones. General David Allvin, chief of the US Air Force, put it plainly: “There is no sanctuary – not even at home,” he said, according to CNN.

A large part of NATO’s bombers and reconnaissance aircraft are today stationed on bases that lack hardened shelters. A single protected hangar area costs about $30 million – a fraction of the cost to replace a single bomber.

Practical Threat, Technological Risk

Ukraine’s attack was carried out with drones hidden in wooden crates mounted on trucks. Once close enough, the boxes were opened remotely, and the drones flew towards their target.

This type of infiltration is not only possible in Russia. Many American and European bases are located near civilian transport routes and highways.

Whiteman is only 25 km from one of America’s main thoroughfares, Interstate 70.

An Open Dilemma

The question now in the Pentagon and NATO headquarters is: Should we invest in defense or offense? General Allvin posed it sharply: If we only play defense and cannot strike back, it is not a good priority.

But at the same time, it is clear that attacks like the Ukrainian one create a need for a new form of weapons balance: between offensive capability and the protection of existing infrastructure.

China’s military has already built over 650 protected hangars near the Taiwan Strait. NATO lags behind.

Size as a Vulnerability

Both the US and Russia have previously considered their large territories a strength.

But Ukraine’s drone offensive showed that large scale and long distances also open up for infiltration. Any road, any container, can hide a hostile drone.

With that in mind, it is time for action. For when a billion-dollar aircraft can be destroyed by a thousand-dollar drone, the threat is not just real – it is intolerable.

Our team may have used AI to assist in the creation of this content, which has been reviewed by our editors.