BRUSSELS (Euronews) - 
European countries are stepping up investment in drones and counter-drone technology as unmanned systems reshape modern warfare, driving demand for new production and capabilities across the continent.
U.S.-based maritime technology company Saildrone is among the latest firms to respond, announcing plans to build unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) in Europe through new manufacturing agreements in Norway, Poland and the Netherlands.
The expansion comes as NATO governments pour billions into unmanned and counter-drone capabilities, while European countries seek to strengthen their defense industries and reduce reliance on overseas production.
Saildrone announced three separate construction agreements alongside the opening of its European headquarters in Copenhagen.
“The first European-built 52-metre Saildrone Spectre will be built at Van der Valk Shipyard in the Netherlands; the next generation of the Saildrone Surveyor will be produced at Umoe Mandal in Norway; and Southern Spars will produce Surveyor wings in Poland,” Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins said.
The company’s European Union headquarters in Copenhagen will support business development, maintenance operations and piloting activities across its European operations.
Saildrone established its European subsidiary in April 2025 with support from a $60 million funding round led by EIFO, Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund.
At the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, Turkeie, in July, allies announced plans to invest more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities over the next five years under NATO’s Drone Edge initiative.
NATO members also aim to train five times as many military drone operators by the end of 2027.
The alliance plans to establish a counter-drone marketplace designed to accelerate procurement by giving governments access to systems that have been tested for NATO compatibility.
have responded by expanding European manufacturing and establishing new partnerships with companies in the region.
Saildrone’s decision to build its unmanned vessels and components in the Netherlands, Norway and Poland places the company within that broader shift towards local production.
“Bringing Saildrone manufacturing and operations to Europe creates an enduring sovereign capability for our European customers,” said Robert Kleist, managing director of Saildrone Europe.
With NATO governments committing billions to unmanned and counter-drone technology, the expansion highlights how drones are moving from a specialized military capability towards an increasingly central role in European defense planning.