# A top NATO commander says cheap drones are breaking the West's old air-defense playbook

> The West's long-standing approach to air defense — relying heavily on advanced jets, expensive missiles, and the ability to shoot down just about whatever comes its way — is being strained by a new era of cheap drones…

- **Source:** [Businessinsider](https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-can-no-longer-sit-back-defending-skies-nato-commander-2026-6?utm_source=gearopen.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=feed&utm_content=6a383997e8976fcb37cdfee7)
- **Published:** 2026-06-21
- **Category:** Drones
- **Tags:** #surface #drone
- **Canonical:** http://localhost:4321/a/6a383997e8976fcb37cdfee7

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_GearOpen's distilled summary. The full original article is published at Businessinsider (source link above); GearOpen does not republish the source's full text._