European Commission preliminarily approves €32m for surveillance at Estonia’s border — ERR News
The European Commission has preliminarily approved the allocation of nearly €32 million for developing drone detection and aerial surveillance systems at Estonia’s eastern border. The funds will be directed to a project for a multi-layered integrated system that has already been partially implemented, ERR News reports.
Radars, cameras and IT system
Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board will continue building the system in cooperation with the country’s Defence Forces. They plan to procure and install radars, cameras, drone detection equipment and an IT system to create a shared situational picture.
Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro said the new infrastructure is intended to strengthen the ability to detect and assess potential threats and respond to them quickly. According to him, the goal is to prevent threats before they affect the security of the country’s residents.
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Funding and timelines
The funding will come from the EU’s Border Management and Visa Policy Fund, while Estonia will provide 10% national co-financing. Veiko Kommusaar, deputy director general of the border agency for border management, noted that over the next three years the project is expected to improve ground and aerial surveillance, including on the Narva River.
Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced the system in March. At that time, more than €200 million was earmarked for countering drones, while around €214 million over four years was allocated for drone surveillance and countermeasures. In May, the first stationary drone countermeasure systems were installed at three sections of the southeastern land border. The first phase, covering the external border and Estonia’s four largest cities, is planned for completion by the end of 2027, and the entire system by the end of 2029. According to the border agency, this should result in continuous coverage of the border with the Russian Federation, an aggressor state.
