Germany to send Estonian-made surveillance equipment to Ukraine
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall will send several dozen million euros worth of Estonian company Defsecintel's surveillance devices to Ukraine. The company's first so-called reconnaissance towers are already in Ukraine.
Jaanus Tamm, CEO of Estonian manufacturer Defsecintel Solutions, said that the company will be sending its SurveilSPIRE surveillance platform to Ukraine in cooperation with the Germans. The device is a tower equipped with cameras that can be towed where needed and used to get a good overview of the surrounding area.
"It can be used to guard the border, surveillance and base protection. The platform is made unique by the fact it can function as a drone launch pad, which can then carry out additional reconnaissance tasks," Tamm said.
The CEO said that work on the system began in the summer of 2018 and that the devices are in use with a few European defense forces.
"Its main benefit is having to deploy fewer soldiers or border guards in places where you want to carry out surveillance. Secondly, if you want to check whether you have hostiles or suspicious activity in a certain area, you can just dispatch drones. It can save time, money and, in some cases, human lives."
The devices are developed and manufactured in Estonia. The innovation of the Estonian defense industry is internationally recognized, Tamm said, adding that is the reason why Rheinmetall, as one of the world's top defense contractors, is interested in working with Defsecintel.
"The war in Ukraine has need of nonstandard solutions that can give one the edge. It is pointless meeting the enemy with the same technology they have. It is necessary to gain the advantage. I believe that the Estonian defense industry can help major international firms provide that advantage through innovative solutions."
The first SurveilSPIRE towers have already reached Ukraine, Tamm added.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski