Brussels, 25 November 2025 - The U.S. Department of State’s Brussels Media Hub hosted a digital press briefing with Brigadier General Curtis King, Commanding General of the U.S. Army’s 10th Air and Missile Defence Command, and Colonel Christopher Hill, Senior Director of the Global Tactical Edge Acquisition Directorate (GTEAD).
The session, held on the record, focused on recent U.S. and NATO efforts to strengthen deterrence along the Alliance’s eastern flank through advanced drone-defence technologies and rapid innovation partnerships with industry.
Combat-Proven Systems and Joint Training
Brigadier General King opened the briefing by detailing two major recent exercises, the demonstration of a mobile counter-UAS (unmanned aerial system) capability known as MEROPS in Poland, and Project FlyTrap 4.5 in Germany.
Both efforts, he explained, were designed to bolster NATO’s ability to detect and defeat one-way attack drones, such as the Russian Shahed models used in Ukraine.
On 18 November, U.S., Polish, and Romanian soldiers trained together in Poland for ten days, using the MEROPS system, a capability already combat-proven in Ukraine. The exercise showcased how integrated radar, interceptor drones, and optical sensors could neutralise incoming drone threats.
King noted that the system demonstrated NATO’s agility in integrating new capabilities and working swiftly with industry partners to deliver cost-effective and lethal counter-drone technologies.
Project FlyTrap 4.5: Expanding Industrial Collaboration
The following week, Project FlyTrap 4.5 in Putlos, Germany, brought together eleven industry finalists out of an initial 200 proposals. The trials allowed soldiers to test active and passive sensor systems designed to detect and defeat drones.
Colonel Hill explained that FlyTrap exemplified how the U.S. Army is reforming its acquisition process to deliver innovation at the tactical edge. The project integrated multiple data networks, including classified and unclassified systems, to enable near-real-time information exchange and testing of new effectors against aerial threats.
“Traditionally, acquisition has struggled to keep pace with modern warfare,” Hill said. “Our mission is to bridge that gap — bringing innovative capabilities directly to soldiers, enabling rapid testing, and accelerating deployment.”
Hill added that the GTEAD’s efforts would soon extend beyond Europe to the Indo-Pacific, replicating the same innovation model with partners in Australia, South Korea, Japan, and other allied nations.
Lessons Learned and Future Scaling
Asked about lessons learned from the November 18 exercise, Brigadier General King said the main takeaway was the need for layered defence systems and rapid data integration across NATO.
“There is no single capability that defeats every threat,” he said. “You need multiple layers and a strong data network to share and analyse information across different classifications.”
King also underscored that the MEROPS system adds an affordable layer to NATO’s defensive capabilities, costing roughly a tenth of what adversaries spend producing a single Shahed drone.
On future plans, both officers confirmed that counter-UAS training and equipment deployment would be scaled across other NATO members facing similar airspace challenges.
Industry Cooperation and NATO Integration
Colonel Hill explained that part of GTEAD’s goal is to create a clear “demand signal” for industry, ensuring that companies integrate their technologies seamlessly into NATO’s data networks.
He also highlighted growing collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Task Force X and other NATO initiatives aimed at standardising counter-UAS capabilities across the Alliance.
When asked about Romanian airspace incursions, King reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to deterrence and said the recent demonstrations illustrated why rapid, mobile, and cost-effective counter-drone systems were essential along the Alliance’s eastern borders.
Ukrainian Lessons and Technological Evolution
Both leaders credited Ukraine’s battlefield experience as a major influence on NATO’s evolving drone-defence strategy.
King noted that the pace of technological change in drone warfare now moves in “21- to 30-day cycles,” requiring constant adaptation. He emphasised the growing role of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud-based data analysis to accelerate response times and reduce manpower needs.
Hill added that Ukrainian and European companies had participated in FlyTrap 4.5, with around 30 international vendors among the 229 total participants. He said future exercises would further expand NATO industry involvement, ensuring that soldiers from each participating nation help assess and select technologies for procurement.
Innovation, 3D Printing, and Rapid Prototyping
Responding to a question about 3D printing, King confirmed that U.S. soldiers had demonstrated the on-site fabrication of drone interceptor frames during FlyTrap 4.5.
Hill said the exercise showcased how front-line troops could use additive manufacturing to reduce production bottlenecks, leaving industry to focus on more complex components. “Every small unit could soon have the ability to print parts in the field,” he added. “That’s a game-changer for responsiveness.”
Closing Remarks
In their closing statements, both officers stressed the value of direct collaboration between soldiers and engineers.
King said, “What once took six months through normal channels, soldiers and industry achieved in 24 to 72 hours by working side by side.”
Hill concluded by noting that the lessons from Europe’s counter-UAS efforts will shape broader U.S. Army modernisation. “When soldiers and innovators communicate early, changes cost thousands not millions and results come in days, not months,” he said.
Both leaders reaffirmed that NATO’s eastern flank remains the proving ground for a new, faster model of military innovation, one designed to outpace evolving drone threats and ensure collective defence readiness.
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