Unmanned systems have become both a persistent threat and a cornerstone of modern defence. That dual reality was on full display at the Tallinn Defence EXPO, where more than 100 companies gathered in late September to present their latest innovations. For Estonia, which shares a border with Russia, the stakes are existential: defence spending has climbed from 1.9% of GDP in 2013 to an average of 5.4% through 2029, according to an industry briefing.
The expo was one of six events during Estonian Defence Week, which drew around 4,500 visitors from 56 countries. Over five days, 133 speakers addressed 68 sessions, including a NATO innovation conference and a Baltic defence conference. The focus was clear: Europe must adapt to a new era of warfare where drones and robots play a central role.
Seeing and stopping drones
Estonian firm Marduk Technologies presented a detection system that relies on powerful optics and artificial intelligence to identify flying objects. “It's a camera-based drone detection system. It's fully passive, and with this we can see whatever is flying. We can differentiate automatically whether it is a bird, drone, helicopter or any flying object,” CEO Leet Rauno Lember told Euronews Next.
Being passive means the system emits no radio signal, making it difficult for adversaries to detect—unlike traditional radars. Lember acknowledged that optical detection is not inherently superior to other technologies but complements them. Acoustic sensors, for instance, have a range of only a few hundred metres and struggle with quiet electric drones, while radar can cover long distances but may miss lightweight foam drones. “All of the layers are complementing each other, and end users are able to make better decisions,” he said.
Marduk has been developing drone-detection devices for over a decade. The war in Ukraine validated their early warnings. “Back in 2016, everybody said that drones will not be a problem, at least in the near future,” Lember recalled.
Another Estonian company, DefSecIntel, has integrated optical, radar, acoustic and radio-frequency sensors into a single mobile, highly autonomous system called Eirshield. “This is a turnkey counter-drone system,” said Jaanus Tamm, CEO and founder. The system detects hostile drones, tracks them, and allows operators to choose an interception method—ranging from jammers to interceptor drones, and even lasers if necessary.
“Eirshield detection sensors will detect the drones, then the operator will select which one to go after, and then they launch the interceptor drone,” Tamm explained. “Then the hostile drones will be destroyed and they will not hit any infrastructure elements or do any harm for the civilians.” Tamm noted that Eirshield is one of the few counter-drone systems in Europe at TRL 9—the highest technology readiness level—meaning it can be purchased in large quantities today. The open architecture allows for future upgrades: “If there are new threats coming, we can just add new effectors, or new sensors to detect better.”
One such effector is Blaze, an interceptor drone from Latvia's Origin Robotics. According to the industry briefing, France's defence procurement agency selected Blaze at Eurosatory 2026.
Robots instead of soldiers
Unmanned ground vehicles are increasingly seen as a way to protect soldiers on dangerous missions. Milrem Robotics presented its THeMIS platform, which the company says enables an “unmanned kill zone”—robotic vehicles that detect and push back invading forces while minimising human casualties.
“Instead of sending troops on the battlefield, we can send in these machines and save lives,” said Raul Rikk, Capability Development Director at Milrem Robotics, speaking at the company's Tallinn factory. The modular THeMIS can be fitted with a machine gun, anti-tank systems, or used for reconnaissance, mine clearing, logistics and casualty evacuation.
Rikk stressed that the concept is no longer theoretical. “Nothing is theoretical anymore. Ukrainians are using them on the battlefield,” he said. While production capacity figures are not public, Rikk said the company is talking about “hundreds of vehicles, and different sizes,” and can scale up rapidly by setting up production in multiple locations.
The Tallinn expo underscored a broader European shift. As Kyiv's winter sky remains a testing ground for drone defence, European nations are racing to equip themselves. The debate over European defence preferences is no longer a luxury, as NATO officials have argued. Estonia's own defence industry readiness has been questioned, but events like this suggest a growing determination to close the gap.
With the war in Ukraine reshaping military thinking, the message from Tallinn was unambiguous: Europe must invest in unmanned systems—both to counter the drone threat and to protect its soldiers. The technology is ready; the question is whether procurement and production can keep pace.
