The European Union is lagging behind when it comes to drones. This needs to change, and Croatia wants to play a leading role in drone production – and do so completely without Chinese components.
On September 10, 2025, NATO was put on high alert. Three Rafale fighter jets from the French Air Force took off and headed for Polish airspace.
The reason is Russian drones that were spotted there. At that time, Russian provocations in the airspace were frequent – in Poland, but also in other European countries, for example in Denmark.
"We need an anti-drone system"
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed concern at the time. “These actions are part of a worrying pattern and pose a growing threat,” she said, adding that it was hybrid warfare against the EU, to which the Union must respond. “We need to protect the eastern flank and we need a wall against drones,” she said in a speech to the European Parliament.
Von der Leyen criticized NATO's failure to adequately respond to Russian drones in Polish airspace. "We had to use expensive modern fighter jets to shoot down relatively cheap mass-produced drones from the sky. That is not sustainable. We need an anti-drone system for rapid detection, interception and neutralization," von der Leyen stressed.
Koordinaciona grupa EU
The war in Ukraine has since become a drone war. In contrast, the militaries of EU member states are still largely at the beginning of their use of military drones. The EU Drone Coordination Group should change this.
The group consists of representatives from the Netherlands, Latvia and Croatia, and last met in January in Zagreb. Croatia wants to take a central role in arming the EU with drones. And it is working hard on that.
No Chinese components
At the Osijek sports airport, drone pilot Karlo is testing unmanned aerial vehicles that are supposed to be used for military purposes. They are manufactured by the Osijek company "Orka" (Orqa) and are special in that they are completely manufactured in Croatia.
These are the first military drones manufactured entirely in the EU without Chinese components. This could make the armies of the EU countries independent.
The drones of the company "Orka" should be technically equal to the Chinese drones. Karlo wants to demonstrate this. In doing so, he lets the drone hover directly above him. Suddenly - the drone jumps up with a jerk and rushes away with a loud buzz. In doing so, it accelerates to 130 kilometers per hour.
Possible use as kamikaze drones
Karlo explains what these drones are capable of doing in war zones. "For our tests, we hang weights weighing up to five kilograms on the drone. Then the drone can transport something to the battlefield, for example a first aid kit or it can be equipped with an explosive charge."
With an explosive charge weighing up to two and a half kilograms, the drone can fly up to 20 kilometers, drop its payload and return again. “Or it can be sent to a distance of thirty to sixty kilometers, but then there is no return,” explains Carlo.
Such drones can also be used as kamikaze drones. They have explosive charges and are guided directly into an enemy facility, where they explode. Karlo demonstrates this as well. He stands in a small house on the edge of the airport and lets the drone fly towards the house.
Karlo wears FPV (First Person View) goggles. Through them, he sees the image from the drone's camera, as if he were inside the aircraft. The drone itself is just under 30 centimeters long.
“I see the drone flying towards our house through my glasses, and then I do this,” says Karlo. The buzzing gets closer and louder. Just before impact, the pilot swerves the drone. “If I had kept flying, you know what would have happened. When you hear the drone buzzing in war, it’s usually too late.”
At first just hobby electronics
A few hundred meters from the Osijek sports airport is the headquarters of the Croatian drone company "Orka". It is decorated in a modern way, like a typical start-up company. In the neighborhood is also a production hall where individual drone parts are made.
The company is currently expanding very quickly. It has 200 employees and is looking for about 50 more. The director of "Orka", Srđan Kovačević, says that ten years ago, when he founded the company with his partners, he could not even imagine the direction in which it would develop.
"We started as a company selling hobby electronics for drone enthusiasts. Then the Ukrainian armed forces found a way to defend themselves with hobby electronics, and then suddenly there was a huge interest in our technology," says Kovačević.
It takes more than drones
He explains that his drones are partly used by the Ukrainian army, with the Ukrainians relying primarily on Chinese drones because they are cheaper. "We want to equip armies in Europe. We are currently able to produce 280.000 drones a year. But the demand for such large quantities is not yet there, because it takes a very long time for European armies to train enough soldiers to use so many drones."
Croatian drones are already being used by the Dutch, Italian and Bulgarian militaries. The Croatian military is currently training 150 of its soldiers to operate drones, says Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić.
"Croatia has the potential and we intend to take a leading role in the field of drones within NATO and the EU. Today, most of the components of FPV drones produced in the EU come from Croatia – both software and hardware," says Anušić.
But the Croatian Defense Minister emphasizes that EU security requires much more than drones. "The Union must cooperate even more closely in defense policy," Anušić points out.
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