Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said that Estonia’s air defenses will become multilayered over the next few years, with over EUR 200 million invested in drone defense.
“In the coming years, Estonia will develop a layered air defense capability and establish a permanent combat readiness posture. To detect small drones, a multi-layered drone detection and countermeasure position will be built along the eastern border, with an investment of approximately EUR 5 million,” Michal said.
“Based on Ukraine’s experience, the drone countermeasure and surveillance system being developed will, according to current plans, cover the eastern border and Estonia’s four largest cities. This plan includes various projects and funding allocations, with a total planned investment exceeding EUR 20 million,” he added.
According to the prime minister, the system being developed to meet peacetime objectives should be operational no later than the end of 2027.
He added that, to develop a layered air defense system, an air defense brigade will be established within the Estonian Defense Forces, strengthening both medium- and short-range air defense capabilities.
“In the coming years, the medium-range air defense systems we have procured — IRIS-T — will arrive in Estonia, along with additional deliveries of existing short-range air defense systems Mistral and Piorun. In addition to internal security investments, nearly EUR 364 million in defense investments has been planned over the next four years to increase drone capabilities. Of this, EUR 214 million will be directed toward the procurement and development of drone surveillance systems and countermeasures, with the remainder allocated to developing offensive capabilities,” Michal said.
The prime minister noted that the Estonian Defense Forces currently have 12.7 mm machine guns, 23 mm anti-aircraft guns, Piorun air defense missiles and Mistral air defense missiles for detecting and countering drones.
Principles of Peacetime Drone Defense
Michal said that in peacetime, Estonia’s approach to protecting its territory from drones is guided by principles that minimize disruption to people’s daily lives and the functioning of society.
“Accordingly, when countering drones, it must be ensured that the counter-drone measures used do not pose a danger to people if debris falls to the ground. Likewise, to avoid escalation, weapons are not fired toward a neighboring country near the border in peacetime,” Michal said.
Michal emphasized that different rules apply in wartime conditions and different capabilities are used.
“Part of Estonia’s airspace defense is continuous airspace monitoring, the data from which forms part of NATO’s integrated air picture. Allied fighter jets operate in Estonia and Lithuania as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. Our airspace is monitored by both the Police and Border Guard Board and the Estonian Defense Forces, whose radar systems are integrated. In peacetime, the Defense Forces maintain air force radars on constant combat readiness to detect aircraft,” Michal said.
Michal stressed that Estonia currently faces no immediate military threat and none of the drones that have entered Estonia so far have been intended to target objects here. “Such drones reach Estonia as an unintended side effect of Russia’s war of aggression and Ukraine’s defensive operations,” he said.
On March 27, the Government Office sent for coordination a draft bill that would expand drone surveillance and countermeasure capabilities in peacetime, for example by removing existing obstacles to protecting national defense sites or the infrastructure of critical service providers.
The article was originally published here: https://news.err.ee/1609981791/prime-minister-estonia-close-to-achieving-multilayer-air-defense