In late April, the government greenlit a bill expanding the authority of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF), police and critical infrastructure operators to detect and counter suspicious drones in peacetime.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said the bill would allow, for example, trained security teams to use shotguns or electronic countermeasures such as radio jammers against drones under certain conditions and regulatory oversight.

Industry representatives, meanwhile, say Estonia's own regulatory environment still limits broader testing and deployment.

DefSecIntel Solutions has tested systems during NATO exercises and already supplies equipment internationally. The company, which also operates in Ukraine, produces radar systems and uses interceptor drones developed in Estonia, Germany and Latvia.

According to strategy and communications chief Getter Oper, such systems could bring down any stray drones entering Estonian airspace without the need for fighter jets.

"Operationally, everything has worked," she said. "We can detect hostile drones and take them down in different ways."

Oper said Estonia already has the technical capability, but regulations limit real-world deployment and testing.

Testing easier in Latvia, Ukraine

Another industry representative pointed to similar restrictions in more advanced scenarios.

"If you need to mount explosives on drones, it gets significantly more complicated," said Kraftworks sales chief Karmo Saar. "From what I'm seeing through our partner companies, this looks much easier to do in Latvia and Ukraine."

Oper added that Estonia's testing ranges are heavily used, limiting available capacity.

"Testing opportunities could definitely be better," she said.

The new roadmap, officials said, should close these gaps and speed up counter-drone development.

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