Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, has completed the final testing phase of its prize contest focused on countering the criminal use of drones at the EU’s borders. The trials were hosted by the Portuguese Air Force, at Campo de Tiro base, in Samora Correia, providing real-life conditions to assess the systems in action.
The winner of the contest will be announced in the coming weeks.
Four companies reached the final stage: Adevex Solutiones (Spain), Dat Con (Slovenia), MBDA France (France) and Nordic Air Defense (Sweden). Each demonstrated its technology against simulated drone threats such as smuggling and unauthorised surveillance.
Strong Support from the Portuguese Air Force
The cooperation of the Portuguese Air Force was central to the success of the contest. By providing access to a controlled but realistic testing environment, Portuguese experts enabled Frontex and the participating companies to simulate complex scenarios that reflect real operational challenges.
The goal of the contest is to support European law enforcement with non-military tools to detect, track, and stop drones used in unlawful cross-border activities. The selected systems were tested for detection accuracy, flexibility, and suitability for use by border and coast guard teams across Europe.
This is Frontex’s second prize contest focused on the criminal use of drones, following a successful 2023 competition on detecting low-flying objects. These initiatives advance the Agency’s commitment to developing smart technologies that help Member States tackle evolving border threats, in full compliance with EU law and fundamental rights.
More information: Frontex
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