In an interview published by Postimees earlier this week, former Estonian Defense Forces Commander Gen. Martin Herem said Estonia should quickly adopt drones. He said it all comes down to a matter of will.

Training must include drones and their countermeasures, as well as the appropriate communications, the retired general said during a visit to Ukraine, where he met with frontline soldiers.

The RKIK said it is procuring electronic warfare equipment.

"We are constantly purchasing smaller drones, but larger systems will start arriving next year and the year after," agency spokesperson Krismar Rosin said.

While anti-drone measures can be hi-tech, often much lower-tech equipment, such as netting and shotguns, can be enough to knock them out of the sky. As a result, the state is also procuring a larger quantity of pump-action shotguns for this purpose.

The 2026-2027 procurement rounds are to include low-altitude surveillance capabilities for better drone detection, electronic warfare tools for jamming and taking them down, and weapons systems for shooting them down, Rosin outlined.

Estonia's drone training center opened a training hub this spring in Nurmsi, Järva County, which will focus on technical development in the field.

"The center supports Defense League, EDF and allied units' training, and enables integration of lessons learned from Ukraine and NATO allies into our national defense, while also offering strong infrastructure to our partners in the EDF and the defense industry," Rosin said.

EDF: Emphasis on systemic integration

In a longer written response, Arbo Probal, head of the EDF's unmanned systems section, further outlined Estonia's drone capabilities.

He said the EDF is moving toward expanding drone capabilities, adding that the emphasis is on systematic integration rather than simply acquiring newer equipment quickly.

"The acquisition of new drones is not conducted as a campaign, but through well-considered and coordinated development plans aimed at covering capabilities at all levels – from reconnaissance to offensive and countermeasures," Probal wrote.

There are currently no plans to create a separate unmanned systems force, he continued.

"The EDF's goal is to integrate unmanned aerial systems – and in the future also other types of unmanned systems – into combat units as organic elements, so that they perform their function as part of the existing unit structure."

He added that the development of drone capabilities and the acquisition of new systems are taking place within the broader framework of defense planning. It takes into account both technological advancements and international experience, especially lessons from the war in Ukraine.

EDF drone training to rise

Drone training's role in the training of conscripts and active-duty personnel will increase further in the coming years, Probal added.

Since the end of last year, all EDF members have had the option to undergo basic training as UAV remote pilots, and the Defense Forces Academy has integrated UAV-related topics into its curricula.

Electronic warfare – developing capabilities to jam enemy signals, disrupt communication channels, and neutralize navigation systems – is also very much in focus.

Autonomous disruption and countermeasures are being developed that can neutralize enemy UAVs both on the battlefield and around critical infrastructure, Probal continued.

Estonia draws lessons from Ukraine's experience

The war in Ukraine has clearly demonstrated that UAVs are an affordable and effective weapons system, one which can nullify armored vehicles, disrupt enemy logistics, and enhance situational awareness, Probal noted. "Estonia has taken these lessons seriously and is consistently developing its drone capabilities – in the areas of reconnaissance, offense, and counteraction."

"UAVs are used in the EDF by various units for amassing and disseminating situational information. Real-time video transmission helps commanders to make fast, informed decisions, and allows monitoring of targets that would otherwise be tough to observe safely," Probal wrote.

Reconnaissance capabilities are supported, for example, by fixed-wing drones that can remain airborne for over an hour and transmit visual data at the battalion level. Even larger and more capable platforms are being deployed at brigade level, providing command elements with hours' worth of intel and an overview of a broader area.

In the coming years, the plan is to upgrade the platforms at brigade level and also to create a division-level unmanned reconnaissance system, which will significantly diversify and deepen the entire EDF intelligence layer, Probal explained.

He noted that in addition to reconnaissance capabilities, Estonia already has kinetic systems and units tasked with those weapons' operation.

"The focus is on practical application of these systems at various levels and integrating them into overall tactics and command models. In addition to existing capabilities, further procurement is being planned to enhance the offensive capacity of units, including short-range FPV-type attack weapons (e.g., modified racing drones used to destroy targets directly on the battlefield)," Probal went on.

"Mapping the solutions and technological innovations available on the market is ongoing to enable rapid response to a changing threat landscape and technological developments. Ukraine's experience shows how quickly a tactical advantage – or its loss – can arise in the drone technology field. Estonia is using this knowledge, adapting it to our environment and linking it with existing defense plans."

EDF: Some decisions could be made faster

Probal stressed that it is vital to understand that drone warfare does not develop in planning documents or in the lab, but on the real battlefield, where new solutions get tested on a daily basis.

"Successful technologies emerge where need, creativity, and resources meet. Countries at war are currently creating new technological norms – and other countries, including Estonia, are inevitably followers and adapters, whose role is to learn quickly and implement effective solutions as operationally as possible."

He acknowledged that some decisions could be made faster and more decisively. "That is a fair criticism. The EDF and the entire defense sector are consciously moving in that direction – we are improving processes, shortening decision chains, and bringing technological innovation into training and use as quickly as possible. This is our conscious choice and strategic objective," Probal added in his written response.

Estonia thus cannot be accused of being passive or hopelessly behind in drone capabilities, he went on.

"We have considerable recce and strike capabilities, existing units and weapons systems, and plans for their expansion and continuous modernization. Our goal is not simply to imitate others but to adapt smartly and systematically to ensure national defense readiness even in the fastest-changing technological environment," he stated.

As to ERR's question of Estonian capabilities in taking down drones launched by any foreign country, he said the EDF is consistently developing those capabilities, to detect and neutralize enemy unmanned aerial vehicles.

"Drone countermeasures are not limited to physically shooting them down – modern counteraction is primarily based on electronic warfare, which allows disrupting enemy drones' communication and control systems, interfering with their navigation, and cutting their link to the control point," he noted.

He added that a multi-layered approach is being worked on, aimed at early detection and rapid response – whether it be signal jamming, visual spot-detect-react processes, or in the future also semi-autonomous systems.

"It is precisely systematic integration into existing units that is key – drone countermeasures do not function as a standalone element, but become part of daily training, tactical planning, and operational activity," Probal continued.

Defense industry crucial in developing drone capabilities

"Estonia is not developing these capabilities only at the state level," he said. "A significant role belongs to the defense industry, with which close cooperation is maintained in developing, testing, and deploying technical solutions so that product development is as user-centered as possible and meets actual battlefield needs. New technological opportunities offered by allies or international producers are also regularly assessed, and their suitability for Estonian conditions."

Time is a critical factor in developing drone capability. "We do not deny that some areas require faster and more decisive steps. We are aware that time is critical, and we are moving to ensure that decisions reach practical implementation more quickly – including training, armament, and tactical procedures," Probal added.

According to Herem, each battalion should get interceptor drone units. Nonetheless, the EDF currently has no plans to create such units.

"In the EDF, separate units for interceptor drones will not be created, because drone counteraction is not a standalone capability but part of broader defense readiness. Interceptor drones are one component of a multi-layered counter-drone system aimed at ensuring that each unit has, according to its mission and level, at least some ability to detect and counter drones," Probal commented.

He added that solutions are being worked on that can be integrated into different units, whether manually piloted FPV-type drones, electro-optical detection systems, or electronic jamming tools. "The focus is not only on the technical platform but also on how it is used – clear tactical principles, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) are being developed to define how, under whose command, and in what situations interceptor drones are used."

"We know that there are already working solutions in the world, including autonomous and semi-autonomous interceptor systems. Estonia does not adopt these indiscriminately but seeks those that are reliable, meet our needs, and are realistically usable within our training and command structures."

"The EDF is proceeding systematically in this area: platform testing, procedure development, training integration, and application of international experience are happening in parallel. Interceptor drone capability is not developed for a specific unit but distributed where it is operationally most needed," Probal concluded.

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