The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board has put into operation a new surveillance system using radar masts and drones along the Narva River. In the first phase, surveillance equipment installed on five radar masts makes it possible to monitor the airspace along roughly one-third of the river border, from the city of Narva to Narva-Jõesuu, according to ERR.
The system is capable of detecting not only civilian UAVs and military drones, but also Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near the border.
“These systems are now operational. We can see drones — not only small civilian drones, but, in principle, if a military drone appears near our border, it will also show up on the radar screen. This is a significant step forward,” Interior Minister Igor Taro said.
Igor Taro also said that by the end of next year, similar radars will cover the remaining section of the border from the Narva River to Lake Peipus, eliminating all remaining “blind spots.” Previously, border guards were able to monitor only 70% of the area.
Estonia’s next step will be to move from monitoring to actively countering threats. The authorities are currently completing the procurement of an experimental testing site where solutions for countering drone attacks will be tested before being deployed across the country.
