ENACT Report Outlines EU's Evolving Approach to Counter-UAS Threats

ENACT Publishes Comprehensive Review of EU Counter-Drone Programme Development

The European Network Against Crime and Terrorism (ENACT) has released a new report taking an in-depth look at the threats posed by unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to criminal and terrorist activity, the counter-UAS (C-UAS) solutions developed in response, and the EU-funded technical research programmes and institutional measures addressing these challenges.

As the report states: "EU-funded research projects have significantly advanced C-UAS technology, particularly in the areas of integrated systems, multi-sensor architectures, incident management tools, and validation activities conducted in real operational contexts. The evolution of these projects over time clearly illustrates a trajectory from single detection or countermeasure components toward comprehensive end-to-end capabilities encompassing detection, tracking, identification, situational awareness, and neutralisation."

Key Projects Under Horizon 2020

ALADDIN (Grant Agreement No. 740859), funded under the Horizon 2020 framework, focused on designing and validating a comprehensive counter-drone solution integrating detection, identification, and neutralisation capabilities. By combining multiple sensor technologies with advanced data processing methods, the project aimed to enhance overall performance in complex operational environments.

DAPS (Grant Agreement No. 719382) explored tailored drone detection and countermeasure solutions for urban environments and critical infrastructure, emphasising scalable protection in security-sensitive locations — particularly those requiring rapid deployment and controlled incident response.

KNOX (Grant Agreement No. 768242) concentrated on developing cost-effective and scalable drone alert and protection systems, integrating detection and jamming functions into a unified platform suited to urban and security applications.

RESPONDRONE (Grant Agreement No. 833717), while not exclusively a C-UAS project, focused on multi-drone operational management and real-time data integration to support first responders. Its cooperative operations, data fusion, and situational awareness capabilities are directly relevant to countering multi-drone threats, managing complex airspace, and addressing swarm-attack scenarios.

Latest Developments Under Horizon Europe: The PRESERVE Project

Under the more recent Horizon Europe framework, PRESERVE (Grant Agreement No. 101168392) centres on addressing emerging hostile drone threats in public spaces. The project is developing a C-UAS platform that integrates detection, intelligence analysis, incident management, and operational validation, with particular emphasis on law enforcement agency (LEA) requirements and public space protection scenarios.

The report highlights that this reflects a broader shift in priorities — solutions must not only be technically advanced but also aligned with the practical needs and deployment constraints of law enforcement agencies. Taken together, the landscape of EU-funded programmes demonstrates that C-UAS capability development is continuing to advance toward integrated, modular, and operationally validated systems.

For more information, visit the ENACT official website.

Further Reference: The 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now publicly available — the world's only continuously updated comprehensive directory of C-UAS vendors and systems. It covers more than 1,000 C-UAS products and services, including performance details, company sales information, and partner data, updated monthly and subdivided into niche sub-sectors such as net capture, missiles, interceptor drones, and detectors.

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