Over the next two years, NATO plans to equip its eastern flank with robots and autonomous weapons systems to deter potential military aggression from Russia.
General Thomas Lowin, the alliance’s land forces commander, disclosed the plans Saturday, January 24, in an interview with the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
According to Lowin, NATO will also boost stockpiles of weapons and ammunition along its borders with Russia and Belarus.
A zone in the border region will be set up and outfitted with remotely operated robotic systems.
In the event of an attack, these systems are intended to impede an enemy advance and minimize potential NATO troop casualties.
The surveillance network will draw on assets collecting data on land, in the air, in space and even in cyberspace. The information will be available in real time to representatives of NATO member states.
New NATO concept: “Deterrence Line on the Eastern Flank”
Lowin emphasized that despite the creation of a largely automated zone by the end of 2027, the core deterrent role will still fall to NATO service members. “Unmanned systems cannot scare off or stop an enemy for long,” he said. “In the end, it always comes down to soldiers facing soldiers.”
The official name of the new concept is the “Eastern Flank Deterrence Line.” It also draws heavily on Ukraine’s defensive experience against Russia’s military aggression, the general added.
