Drone‑defense system on Estonia's eastern border still in early development
The first sections of Estonia's southeast border have been equipped with drone‑monitoring devices. The system is complex and uses several different technologies to detect unmanned aircraft.
For security reasons, officials do not disclose the exact locations of the installed equipment. According to the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), the deployed systems combine multiple detection methods.
"In some places we have radars that can see into the air within a certain range. Radars also have their own limits and altitude restrictions. Then there are radio‑signal detectors that can identify drones flown manually, not autonomous drones like the Ukrainian ones that sometimes stray," said Hanna Heier, the PPA's head of development.
Every detected drone is reported to the Estonian Defence Forces, and depending on the situation, either the PPA or the military responds. The PPA can jam radio signals, among other countermeasures.
"It depends on the frequency a drone uses — that frequency can be disrupted. We are also gradually acquiring softer tools, like net guns that shoot a net to capture a drone, or interceptor drones that follow the target and trap it in a net," Heier explained.
Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200) confirmed that if the drone is a military attack drone, the Defence Forces handle the response.
Building Estonia's drone‑defense capability is a complex undertaking, and the most suitable solution should emerge from test sections being developed along the Narva River.
Taro said it is not possible to simply purchase a fully functioning system. "We have to test first and see who can offer something that is actually usable," he said.
The project is still in its early stages.
"By the end of next year, the first phase should be completed, meaning both the external border and the four largest cities will have drone‑detection capability," Taro said.
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Editor: Valner Väino, Argo Ideon
