Poland and Romania are deploying a new defence system against Russian drones, following a series of incursions into NATO airspace in recent months.

The United States-built Merops system, which is small enough to fit in the back of a pick-up truck, can identify drones and close in on them, using artificial intelligence to navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed.

The aim is to make the border with Russia so well-armed that Moscow's forces will be deterred from crossing, from Norway in the north to Turkey in the south, the officials said.

Series of Russian drone incursions

The need for such technology became acute after around 20 Russian drones flew into Polish airspace in early September.

Multimillion-dollar jets were scrambled to respond to the drones, which co

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