Protecting Europe’s critical infrastructure from drone threats: the case for precision counter-drone defence

Crown Defence is a Finnish defence technology firm that offers intelligent, non-kinetic counter-drone solutions for civil and military use. Its AI-driven ONYKS™ platform can detect, identify and neutralise confirmed drone threats without disrupting surrounding systems. This makes it ideal for protecting airports, energy grids, data centres and other critical infrastructure.

There is a growing protection gap: critical infrastructure across Europe is increasingly vulnerable to unmanned aerial systems used for reconnaissance, smuggling, sabotage or hybrid operations. Drones can bypass ground perimeters and operate in restricted urban airspace; however, many existing counter-drone tools are too blunt for use with live infrastructure. Broad-spectrum jamming, high-power interference and physical interception risk disrupting communications, emergency services and air traffic control and are often prohibited by legislation.

Precision over disruption 

Crown Defence takes a different approach: protection must be precise, intelligent, and free from interference. ONYKS™ is a selective, non-kinetic system designed specifically for infrastructure protection. It uses multi-sensor AI to identify drones with a high degree of certainty, responds only to confirmed hostile drones, and can adapt to new platforms and tactics through continuous learning. Its scalable architecture can integrate with national or regional networks, such as the European Drone Wall.

The protection of our airspace must not undermine everyday life; the future of defence will be defined by intelligence and precision, not blanket interference, says Jari Mielonen, CEO of Crown Defence Ltd.

Operational benefits 

This precision preserves operational continuity while neutralising threats. It enables regulatory compliance by avoiding radio interference and provides actionable threat intelligence from confirmed incidents. It also supports shared resilience by integrating modularly into broader security frameworks. As Europe develops collective airspace protection, interference-free, intelligence-driven systems are becoming essential components of national and cross-border resilience.

Crown Defence Philosophy 

Our mission is to protect the technological backbone of society by eliminating threats without degrading the environment on which it depends. The future of defence is selective, adaptive and compliant; it is intelligence, not brute force, that closes the protection gap faced by current infrastructure. Crown Defence is built to deliver exactly that.