From Detection to Depletion: Sustainability Constraints in Counter-Drone Defense

This policy brief distills key findings from the research report From Detection to Depletion: Cost-Exchange Limits in the Russia–Ukraine Drone War (EPINOVA–2025–01–RR; DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18036790). It argues that counter-drone defense is increasingly constrained not by intercept capability, but by economic and operational sustainability under continuous saturation. Traditional shoot-down–centric metrics systematically overstate effectiveness and obscure structural exhaustion. Using a Minimum Viable, Auditable (MVA) framework and publicly available data, the brief highlights policy-relevant indicators such as Cost per Loss Avoided (CPLA), composite cost–loss dynamics, and mission preservation thresholds, offering actionable guidance for decision-makers. The authoritative record of this policy brief is archived on Zenodo.