NB8 Series of Topical Briefs: The Drone Challenge

In this new policy brief series, the eight leading institutes of the Nordic-Baltic Eight countries commit to closer collaboration on analysis and research. The aim is to deepen understanding of the evolving security, political, and societal dynamics shaping the Nordic–Baltic region amid renewed great-power competition.

The Nordic-Baltic Eight series of jointly published topical briefs is a collaboration between the eight leading institutes in the Nordic–Baltic region. The initiative aims to enhance understanding of the region’s shifting security, political, and societal landscape in an era of renewed great-power rivalry. The series seeks to generate shared insights, foster informed policy dialogue, and contribute to the region’s strategic resilience.

The views expressed in the policy briefs are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the participating institutes. New briefs will be published on a continuous basis as they are released.

The eight institutes involved are:

The Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI),
Danish Institute of International Studies (DIIS),
The Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA),
The Icelandic Institute of International Affairs (IIA),
The International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS),
The Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University (TSPMI),
The Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA),
and
The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).

Publications

Brief No. 5 – 15 September 2026

NB8 and the Drone Challenge: Creating Platform Market as a Tool for Integration-Driven Preparedness

Recent drone incursions in the Baltic States and Finland have shown that drones are no longer only a battlefield concern. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has accelerated the transformation of drone warfare, demonstrating how relatively inexpensive systems can extend the reach of military operations, target civilian and dual-use infrastructure, and place significant pressure on traditional air defence. For the NB8 countries, this creates a shared security challenge that combines conventional defence requirements with hybrid threats and the rapid proliferation of dual-use technologies.

This policy brief argues that the predominantly national approach taken by NB8 countries risks creating fragmented supply chains, divergent standards, duplicated investments, and incompatible systems. The authors therefore propose developing a standardised and modular drone platform architecture – a European drone defence “Platform Market”. Under this model, countries could retain domestically secured production of core drone platforms while allowing mission-specific modules to be developed, licensed, and traded under common standards. This would preserve national production capacity while creating the scale, interoperability, and competitive environment needed to accelerate innovation across the region.

The authors also argue that the NB8 has an opportunity to take a leading role in emerging EU drone and defence initiatives. They recommend coordinating regional engagement with Ukraine, using its battlefield experience to support capability development and common standards, while jointly leveraging EU instruments such as the European Drone Defence Initiative and European Defence Projects of Common Interest. In the longer term, the proposed Platform Market could provide an open architecture for broader European cooperation and strengthen technological, industrial, and security integration within the NB8, NATO, and formats such as the Joint Expeditionary Force.