Estonian defence firms are adapting drones, launch equipment and detection systems using feedback from Ukraine’s front line, Euronews reports.
At a demonstration near Tallinn, Euronews Next met firms across Estonia’s defence sector that build drones, launchers and sensors. Estonian manufacturer KrattWorks showed systems designed to continue a mission if their connection to the operator is jammed. Karmo Saar, the company’s head of sales, said a single operator in Ukraine can already control seven of its drones. Saar said the aircraft carry enough on-board computing power to finish a mission after signal loss.
Drones built for lost signals and bad weather
Estonian surveillance-drone maker Threod Systems told Euronews that battlefield feedback changed how its aircraft respond to lost GPS. Rather than crashing, the drone can return for a controlled landing, according to test engineer Margus Allas. Ukrainian users also pushed Threod to test in more severe weather and to make the software easier for tired operators to use.
Threod demonstrated its Cata B pneumatic launcher, which can be assembled in minutes and uses diesel fuel to launch drones. The British Army has also selected Threod’s Cata launch system for its ASGARD one-way effector programme, with the contract still being finalised at the time of that announcement.
Tallinn-based radio-frequency manufacturer Rantelon showed a passive detector that listens for drone signals without broadcasting its own position. It can track several aircraft across different radio bands, according to the company. Rantelon also makes portable counter-drone jammers; detection and disruption address different stages of the same threat.
Local production meets a component constraint
Estonian drone maker Electric Wings Group showed a 10-inch FPV aircraft designed to carry a munition. It told Euronews that it can currently make about 10,000 units a year and could expand output. The frames, propellers and motors are made in Estonia, while batteries are assembled locally.
Electronics are harder to source domestically. Jordan Vähesoo, Electric Wings Group’s sales manager, said European tenders increasingly request European electronics, even though Chinese parts are cheaper. “A lot of components right now are still coming through China,” he told Euronews. The company does not claim its FPV drone is immune to jamming; Vähesoo described replacing a disabled unit with another from the box.
Read the full Euronews article.
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