The skies above the world's critical transport hubs are becoming the new front line, it is feared. Recent incidents - including drone incursions that have forced temporary closures at major airports in Denmark and Norway are often paired with cyberattacks. They signal a dangerous shift meaning the threat to civil aviation is no longer just from wayward hobbyists, but from coordinated, state-level hybrid warfare.

That's according to Google chatbot, Gemini which has detailed how airports are moving from simple surveillance to deploying sophisticated Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) technology, turning their restricted airspace into a layered digital and kinetic fortress. The core of this new defence is an integrated strategy that moves beyond simple alarms to actively stopping the threat.

It states: "For UK and global airports, the challenge is unprecedented. They are now in a frantic race to build an effective, multi-layered defence system against uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) that are often small, hard to detect, and potentially deployed for reconnaissance or disruption."

It says the 2018 Gatwick shutdown, caused by a small, unknown drone, was a "costly lesson in civilian vulnerability," but warns: "Today, the threat is more complex."

It adds: "The current concern is not over a lost hobby drone, but military-grade or adapted UAS used in conflicts like the one in Ukraine. These drones can be fast, autonomous, and sometimes constructed from materials designed to evade standard radar.

"Recent events show that drone incursions are sometimes paired with cyberattacks on airport IT systems, suggesting a coordinated effort to maximise chaos and test a country's entire critical infrastructure response."

It is also said to be "testing NATO resolve" as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark stated regarding the recent closures, such activity is viewed as a "serious attack on critical Danish infrastructure" and a means for an adversary like Russia to "test the European borders."

The global security industry -- including firms in the UK -- are rapidly deploying technology based on a "Detect, Track, Neutralise" framework. The core challenge is distinguishing a drone from a bird or a piece of debris across a vast, complex airport environment. For this, airports are adopting a multi-sensor approach using speacialised radars, radio frequencies and thermal cameras.

Once a target is detected, the system must continuously track it and assess the threat level. This involves sophisticated AI-powered software that fuses data from all the sensors -- radar, RF, and cameras -- to create a unified, real-time picture for security and air traffic control teams. This immediate situational awareness allows for rapid decision-making: diverting a landing aircraft or closing a runway.

In the UK, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) has established rigorous testing standards for this technology, and airports like Heathrow and Gatwick have made significant investments since 2018.

The most common form of mitigation involves disrupting the radio link between the drone and its pilot, forcing the drone to land or return to its launch point. However, in the UK and most civilian areas, the authority to deploy such countermeasures rests solely with the police or military, not airport security. This is to prevent accidental interference with aircraft navigation, Wi-Fi, or other critical infrastructure.

Technologies like drone-mounted or ground-based net cannons exist to physically capture a drone. These kinetic systems are used in a limited capacity by law enforcement to bring down a threat safely for forensic analysis.

Highly sophisticated, and often military-grade, counter-UAS systems can attempt to "spoof" the drone's GPS or control signals, effectively hijacking it and flying it to a safe landing zone. This requires extremely advanced and costly technology.

The recent incursions have spurred a rapid, collaborative response across Europe. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to share his country's extensive experience in countering Russian aerial attacks.

In response, EU defence ministers are discussing the creation of a continent-wide "Drone Wall" along the bloc's eastern borders. Countries like Sweden, France, and Germany are also providing their advanced anti-drone units and radar systems to frontline NATO partners like Denmark to quickly boost their capabilities.

Defending the skies over Europe's critical transport hubs is no longer an isolated airport security matter, but a priority of national and European defence against a new form of hybrid warfare. For UK airports, the focus remains on continuous technological upgrades, closer collaboration with the police, and staying one step ahead of a threat that is evolving as fast as the war in Eastern Europe.

Gemini states: "The biggest challenge in the UK and European civilian airspace is moving from detection to neutralisation . Strict regulations prevent airports from deploying technologies that could interfere with commercial aircraft communications. Therefore, all "hard kill" or electronic countermeasures are usually reserved for the police or military, but the systems are in place.

"Following the 2018 Gatwick incident, the UK government granted police new powers to use counter-drone technology and extended the no-fly zones around airports to a wider area, creating a dedicated 'sterile' buffer zone.

"Ultimately, protecting an airport is now a matter of national security. By implementing a deep, multi-layered defence system -- combining the best of radar, RF, and kinetic/electronic countermeasures -- European airports are racing to ensure the security of their skies against a rapidly evolving and dangerous form of attack."

World in frantic race to protect airports from 'hybrid threat' of drones as tensions rise - Daily Star