Eastern Flank Watch
EU multi-domain defence project to strengthen security along the Union's eastern border.
Eastern Flank Watch won Council approval as an EU Defence Project of Common Interest on 28 September 2026, opening the eastern-border effort, estimated at €60bn to €100bn by 2036, to European Defence Industry Programme co-funding.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026
Timeline for Eastern Flank Watch
Mentioned in: EU picks DECODER drone project for EDIP
Drones: Industry & DefenceBackground
Eastern Flank Watch is an EU multi-domain defence project to strengthen security along the Union's eastern border. the Commission first set it out in October 2025 as one of four readiness flagships in its Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030.
the Commission's July 2026 proposal lists six initial capability areas: ground combat, drone defence, command and intelligence systems, counter-mobility, military mobility, and air and missile defence. It names 15 participants, including the Baltic states, Poland, Norway and Ukraine.
Council selection on 28 September put Eastern Flank Watch in line for a share of the €325m that the Commission has reserved across the first five projects. That sum is small against the project's own estimated size, so the participating governments will fund most of it.