Estonia is moving to close one of Europe’s key defense testing gaps with a new drone and electronic warfare laboratory designed to measure how systems are detected, disrupted, and hardened in realistic combat conditions.
Metrosert, the country’s applied research center and national metrology institute, is building a nearly 7-million-euro ($8.2-million) electromagnetic compatibility and radar cross-section (EMC/RCS) laboratory in Tallinn as part of a broader drone technologies testing center scheduled to open in spring 2027.
The facility is designed to test how drones, vehicles, and integrated systems appear to radar and how they behave under electromagnetic interference. That includes everything from small electronic components to full-scale platforms, including potential weapon system configurations.
Metrosert said existing EMC and radar testing facilities across the region are heavily booked, slowing down the transition from prototype development to industrial production.
Once completed, the center is expected to serve defense developers and industrial users across the Nordic and Baltic regions, with accreditation work underway to ensure compliance with international measurement standards.
“This new capability will help ease that bottleneck and significantly accelerate the transition of developed prototypes into real industrial production,” Rainer Kivimäe, head of the Drone Technologies Unit at Metrosert’s Applied Research Center, said.
Estonia Expands Drone Production, Testing
Estonia’s investment in advanced testing infrastructure comes alongside broader efforts to scale its unmanned systems ecosystem.
In March, the Estonian Air Force tested advanced counter-drone systems during the week-long Digital Shield exercise, aimed at countering emerging aerial threats. Conducted with the US Army, the drills evaluated both legacy and newly acquired systems.
Earlier, in February, South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace partnered with Estonia’s Frankenburg Technologies to develop a counter-drone system for next-generation land platforms.
In November 2025, Estonia also introduced a 35-hour drone defense course for students, combining simulator training with live-flight exercises to build foundational skills in drone operations.
