The United Kingdom has sent its most advanced counter-drone system, Orcus, along with a specialized Royal Air Force (RAF) Regiment unit, to Denmark to support NATO allies amid growing concerns about Russian drone activity across Northern Europe.
The Orcus system, part of the RAF’s Counter-Uncrewed Air Systems (C-UAS) program, is capable of detecting, tracking, identifying, and disabling hostile drones through integrated radar, sensors, and powerful electronic jamming. Defense analysts describe Orcus as one of the most sophisticated electronic warfare tools currently in use by any NATO force.
This deployment follows a surge in mysterious drone incidents near airports and sensitive military sites in Denmark and neighboring countries incidents that briefly disrupted civil aviation and raised fears of deliberate Russian interference.
At Denmark’s request, the UK dispatched an elite RAF Regiment team from No. 2 C-UAS Wing to help reinforce air defense around Copenhagen and other key areas. The move coincides with two major European security conferences hosted in the Danish capital this week.
UK Defence Secretary John Healy called the operation “a necessary step in response to drone attacks at Denmark’s main and regional airports,” adding that “we are now facing a level of grey-zone activity designed to test our resilience and unity.”
According to the RAF, the deployment demonstrates the strategic importance of counter-drone technologies, which allow NATO forces to respond quickly and safely to unauthorized aerial threats.
Western intelligence agencies have also expressed concern that Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers vessels used to transport crude through the Baltic Sea may have been repurposed as floating drone bases for surveillance or sabotage operations. Moscow has denied these allegations.
Officials believe these incidents form part of a wider Russian hybrid warfare campaign, aimed at probing NATO defenses and testing political coordination among member states. US President Donald Trump has publicly urged European allies to intercept and neutralize any unidentified drones entering their airspace.
In a statement, General Michael Wiggers, Denmark’s Chief of Defence, thanked the UK for its assistance, calling it “proof of the strong international cooperation that allows us to respond swiftly when security is at stake.”
Denmark is now working closely with multiple partners including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, the US, the UK, and Ukraine to strengthen defense readiness against grey-zone threats.
Danish intelligence chief Thomas Ahrenkiel recently warned that “Russia is waging a hybrid war against NATO,” prompting Copenhagen to raise its national sabotage threat level.
UK military officials report a sharp increase in Russian attempts to jam or interfere with British satellites since mid-2025. Major General Paul Tedman confirmed that such interference is being detected “almost weekly.”
A senior RAF source added, “Our technology allows us to neutralize most aerial threats effectively. We will continue to support NATO allies in countering any future drone incursions.”
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