TALLINN, Estonia, — Estonia is considering acquiring light jet aircraft to counter Russia’s growing use of high-speed, jet-powered attack drones, Defence Minister Martin Herem said in an interview with The Baltic Sentinel after visiting Ukraine.
Herem said jet-powered drones can fly faster and higher than conventional drones, with some variants reportedly reaching up to 800 km/h. Ukraine has reported that its interception rate against long-range drones has fallen from about 90 per cent to 70 per cent, while jet-powered variants are expected to become more common.
Herem said aircraft using air-to-air weapons could be an effective option against these targets. Turboprop aircraft may not be fast enough, while Ukraine also uses computer-controlled cannons and heavy machine guns. Conventional interceptor drones can struggle to catch faster jet-powered targets.
Estonia has no fighter jets of its own and relies on NATO allies for air policing. Its air force leases two L-39C Albatros jet trainers from Aerohooldus OÜ for tactical air controller training. Although the aircraft could theoretically be armed, their civilian status and lease conditions prevent combat modifications.
The threat reached Estonian airspace in May 2026, when a Romanian F-16 operating under Baltic Air Policing shot down a drone that entered southern Estonia. The interception followed early warning from Latvian radar and local detection.
During his October 11 visit to Kyiv, Herem met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defence Minister Yevhen Khmara to discuss air defence, defence-industrial cooperation, drones, electronic warfare and applying Ukrainian battlefield experience to Estonia’s defence planning.
Estonia is also strengthening ground-based air defence. It received the first components of the IRIS-T SLM system in June 2026, with the remaining two of three ordered fire units expected in 2027. Estonia is also evaluating longer-range systems capable of countering ballistic missiles.
The light-jet proposal remains under consideration, with no aircraft type, quantity, budget or delivery schedule announced.
Main Source : militarnyi
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