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Odense 26 MAY 2026
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
thank you for being here today in Odense.
We are standing at an airport. That is fitting.
Because Europe’s skies are no longer secure.
Hostile drones are crossing into our airspace.
These are not isolated incidents.
From Estonia to Denmark. From Belgium to Germany.
The drone incursions that paralysed Vilnius just last week.
They are part of a sustained, adversarial campaign.
And let me be clear: drones are the future of modern warfare.
Events in the Middle East have demonstrated how critical counter-drone systems are.
Europe cannot afford to lose out.
I want to make three points.
First, speed is everything.
In a drone war, the side that adapts fastest wins.
It is as simple as that.
Europe still lacks scalable, cost-effective defences.
What we do not have are enough systems on the ground today, protecting our critical infrastructure.
That is why Rasmussen Global launched Dronetex – not as another bureaucratic process, but as an industry-driven coalition that can act now.
We have worked with industry partners to build an interoperable prototype.
To be ready to defend our skies – as soon as required.
And we have moved with remarkable speed.
Within nine months, we are fielding a first prototype.
This shows what European industry can deliver.
Second, Europe must defend itself.
NATO remains the cornerstone of our security.
But the days of assuming the USA will protect us are over.
I am proud that six companies – Danish, Estonian, German, Dutch, Ukrainian – what I would call “European” have put national flags aside and are working as one integrated system.
Radar.
Acoustic Sensors.
Optical Sensors.
Interceptors.
Command and control.
This is what European defence looks like when industry leads.
Third, Ukraine is the teacher.
For more than four years, Ukrainian engineers have adapted, every single week, to the most intense drone war in human history.
They know what works.
They know what fails.
They know what saves lives.
Any serious European drone defence must be built on that experience.
That is why a Ukrainian company sits at the heart of this coalition – not as a junior partner, but as an equal partner.
And it is why I have always argued that Ukraine must be an integrated part of Europe’s new security architecture.
Built for speed.
Built in Europe.
Built with Ukraine.
On this occasion, I also want to invite you all here today to continue engaging with Dronetex and the industry at large.
To help develop, fund and accelerate our defence efforts.
This is how we defend our skies.
Thank you.
And now, Peter Røpke, CEO of Weibel Scientific, will take the floor.
Contact our Senior Communications Director, Daniel Puglisi (dpu@rasmussenglobal.com) for further information.