On 5 November, NATO said it had launched a Counter-UAS marketplace that lets allies buy directly from a catalogue without a further tender. Part of the 'Drone Edge' initiative unveiled at the Ankara defence-industry forum in July, it has the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) selecting 16 solutions from five companies, with allies committing to invest over $40 billion in counter-drone capability over the next five years.
Catalogue buying and the five firms picked
NCIA selected 16 solutions from Alta Ares, Axon, Northrop Grumman, OSL UK and Quantum Systems, covering static, transportable and on-the-move configurations said to be already deployed in allied countries and Ukraine. It manages 18-month multi-award framework contracts and will run regular competitions to bring in newer technology, and NATO allocated 3.1 million euros for further testing of the selected solutions.
The marketplace aims to speed procurement by removing the tender step. Under Drone Edge, allies have committed to invest more than $40 billion over five years in counter-drone capability, so the catalogue approach is cast as the mechanism to accelerate that buying in practice, with the central question being how to secure volume while refreshing the technology.
Human-AI teaming advancing in exercises
In the same week, NATO tested at DiBaX 2026 in Latvia (19–30 October) whether commercial 5G masts could passively detect and track drones. At the Crossed Swords 2026 cyber exercise in Tallinn (2–6 November), covered previously, AI agents were placed in the loop on both sides for the first time, using OpenAI's Daybreak, and the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation cited resolving interoperability barriers with agentic AI in hours.
Faster procurement and human-AI teaming in exercises overlap as moves that advance counter-drone response in both institution and operation, so NATO is working in parallel on securing volume through the catalogue and on operating concepts that include agentic AI.
Sources
Primary sources
- 1
NATO accelerates procurement for counter-drone technologies
Source checked 6 Nov 2026
NATO · External site
Reporting
- 2
Military explores commercial 5G networks for enemy drone defense — AI agents developed the system used in Latvia
Source checked 6 Nov 2026
Tom's Hardware · External site - 3
NATO's Crossed Swords Cyber Exercise Adds AI Agents to Training for First Time
Source checked 6 Nov 2026
Military AI · External site
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AI & Security Observatory（2026-11-05）「NATO、対無人機ソリューションのカタログ調達を開始 5社16種を選定、5年で400億ドル超の投資を約束」『AI & Security Observatory』、第1.0版、最終更新2026-11-06。https://ai-security-observatory.org/ja/brief/brief-20261106-06/
AI & Security Observatory (2026-11-05). NATO opens catalogue-based counter-drone buying, picking 16 solutions from five firms . AI & Security Observatory, version 1.0. Updated 2026-11-06. https://ai-security-observatory.org/en/brief/brief-20261106-06/
Version 1.0 · Publication date 5 Nov 2026 · Updated 6 Nov 2026
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