Latvia and the Netherlands to become hubs for European military drone testing

New hubs for testing unmanned systems

During a NATO meeting in Riga, European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Valdis Dombrovskis announced plans to build two specialised centres for testing military drones. The facilities will be located in Latvia and the Netherlands.

According to the European Commission representative, these sites are being created to develop, test, and evaluate cutting-edge military concepts and technologies. Testing will be conducted in real operational conditions for ground, maritime, and aerial drones. Both centres are scheduled to become operational by 2027.

Geography and profile of the future centres

The Latvian hub will be located at the Selonia military training ground, which is situated near NATO ranges. The primary focus here will be on aerial and ground drones, as well as counter-drone technologies.

In the Netherlands, the city of Scheveningen will serve this role. There, efforts will focus on testing maritime drones designed to protect port infrastructure and ensure seabed security.

Context of the European DECODER project

The establishment of these centres is part of the large-scale DECODER initiative, aimed at addressing critical gaps in the European Union's defence sector. The initiative has already received €60 million in funding.

Almost all EU member states, as well as Ukraine and Norway, are involved in the work. In the future, Europe plans to expand the network of such centres to conduct joint exercises and procurements.