Estonia partners with girls' tech club to launch civilian drone training
Estonia's Defense League is teaming up with girls' tech nonprofit HK Unicorn Squad to expand civilian drone skills with a new hands-on training program.
The Ministry of Defense and the Estonian Defense League (EDL) signed a cooperation agreement with HK Unicorn Squad Tuesday, launching the Angry Eagle training initiative.
Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said drones are already a key part of modern warfare, as seen in Ukraine, and that Estonia's new initiative will now go beyond high schools to include adults.
"This gives citizens the chance to develop their tech skills and contribute to Estonia's broad-based defense," he said.
Under the deal, the Estonian Defense League (EDL) and HK Unicorn Squad will launch basic drone courses for enthusiasts to raise awareness of how to safely handle unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Maj. Gen. Ilmar Tamm, commander of the EDL, highlighted how unique the Defense League is in uniting the personal and professional expertise of all its members in support of Estonia's national defense.
He emphasized that nearly all of the country's current drone expertise likewise stems from volunteer initiative, adding that basic training on safe drone handling is something the organization could share more widely with state support.
"The benefits would also extend to other fields beyond national defense," Tamm added.
HK Unicorn Squad founder Taavi Kotka said many Estonians are eager to learn drone skills but don't know where to start.
"Angry Eagle is training designed primarily for beginners," he said. Through hands-on flight exercises, participants learn how drones are used in a military context before moving on, if interested, "to more advanced courses."
History of hands-on tech training
Named after Kotka's daughter, whose experience with being left out of a robotics club inspired the initiative, HK Unicorn Squad provides hands-on technology education to girls across Estonia, aiming to cultivate girls' interest in engineering, technology, robotics and science, achieve more equal gender distribution in tech-related extracurriculars and boost women's representation in ICT.
The first HK Unicorn Squad class in 2018 consisted of 17 girls aged 8–12. Following a successful debut course, the nonprofit moved forward with expanding across Estonia, providing free educational kits with teaching resources and instructions.
Since 2018, the nonprofit has reached nearly 4,000 girls through courses and summer camps, with girls-only study groups active in every county in Estonia.
To learn more about Angry Eagle drone training or sign up to be notified when programs are launched, visit kurikotkas.ee.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
