### Rising Hybrid Warfare Threats: Drones and State-Sponsored Surveillance

The emergence of surveillance drones over key installations poses critical questions regarding national security and appropriate responses to such tactics.

Recent sightings of drones over critical infrastructures in Norway, Germany, and the United States have led defense experts to warn of the evolving nature of warfare, often described as hybrid or "gray zone" tactics. These methods allow hostile states, particularly Russia, to conduct operations that encompass espionage and destabilization without engaging in outright military conflict.

Incidents have been reported off the coast of Norway, where drones were observed over oil rigs and wind farms, sparking immediate suspicions of state oversight. According to Stale Ulriksen, a researcher at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, these activities could be linked to Russian-controlled ships operating in the North Sea, especially given their proximity to crucial underwater energy pipelines. However, due to the drones flying over international waters, Norway faced limitations on potential counter-actions.

The situation escalated when drone sightings proliferated along the U.S. East Coast, even though most of the 5,000 reported instances drew minimal concern, with only 100 requiring closer inspection. However, the narrative shifted dramatically when drones hovered over military bases in the UK and Germany—locations housing American troops. U.S. defense analysts suspect these operations are indicative of state-sponsored surveillance, a claim that has been met with silence from British and German officials regarding the specifics.

These incidents illustrate a worrying trend as defined by experts in the defense community. They characterize the drone deployments as part of a hybrid warfare strategy, involving an array of tactics—military, cyber, psychological, and economic—aimed at destabilizing perceived adversaries. As nations grapple with the implications of these tactics, a concerted strategy to respond to such covert threats remains a pressing concern for security agencies across the Atlantic.