The Defense League has been systematically involved in drone training for over two years. The exercises utilize drones capable of reconnaissance and fire control. Participants also learn how to act when they are visible from the air.

"A fairly wide range of people are involved in this, and we are reaching the final phase," said Aivar Hanniotti, the coordinator of unmanned aerial vehicles for the Defense League.

The experience in Ukraine shows that enemy jammers are a hindering factor, as is the diversity of attack munitions attached to drones.

"Often, the ammunition used on attack drones is put together by local engineers. This creates quite a lot of risks for the personnel," Hanniotti acknowledged.

Drone operator Priit has been with the Defense League for 20 years. He said the most challenging part of drone operation is dealing with regulations and restrictions. Moreover, the production of drones suitable for combat should nowadays take place in Estonia.

"If we don't produce anything in Estonia, if we don't know how to do things, then in a situation where we might find ourselves isolated on our little island, we'll just be sitting here. We won't know how to fix things if we don't know how to produce them," explained Priit.

Anyone can learn, and the younger you start, the better. In defense education, drone training would provide a lively alternative to lectures.

"The effectiveness of a lecture is, after all, 20 percent, scientifically proven. Drones are a subject of the future. Russia's war against Ukraine has already shown that drone technology has made the biggest developmental leap. It might be the jet engine of this war," said Priit.

"We are also involved in training young people. This year, we are offering young people the opportunity to engage in drone racing and to promote this field more widely to the public," Hanniotti shared.

Last year, the Defense League acquired more than 100 multirotor drones for training purposes.

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