NATO is shifting from air policing to a new ‘360-degree’ defense as drone and missile threats grow, official says

NATO is pursuing a new approach to its air defense operations across Europe, shifting focus away from traditional air policing missions and toward a 360-degree strategy, an alliance official said.

The transition to a more comprehensive approach comes amid a rise in Russian drone incursions into NATO airspace this year. Allied militaries have repeatedly scrambled fighter jets to track and sometimes shoot them down.

A NATO official told Business Insider that NATO’s integrated air and missile defense strategy is changing from a framework focused on air policing to a “multi-layered, 360-degree approach” designed to address a range of threats.

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