Rutte at NATO's Ankara summit: NATO allies to invest over $40 billion in antidrone capabilities

NATO allies will invest more than $40 billion in the next five years in their capabilities to defend against drones, Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday.

Rutte’s comments come as threats from drones become common on battlefields, with heavy casualties reported in most active conflicts.

Rutte also said that NATO allies are committed to working together to acquire, store, transport, and manage stockpiles of critical defense materials.

At a defense industry forum in Ankara, Rutte said the initiative involves Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.

Saab will be able to start deliveries of GlobalEye aircraft in 2030 if NATO contracts the company quickly, the CEO of the Swedish defense group, Micael Johansson, told reporters at a press conference in Ankara on Tuesday.

Johansson added that the final price had not yet been agreed but that it would be between roughly $400 million and $450 million per aircraft.

This is a developing story.