Baltic drone developers outshine competitors at Parisian defence tech exhibition

Estonian company DefSecIntel has developed a mobile radar system capable of detecting enemy combat drones. For this achievement, the company received the Innovation Award at the recent Milipol international defence technology exhibition in Paris.

DefSecIntel has signed a cooperation agreement with Latvian drone manufacturer Origin Robotics for the creation of the Blaze interceptor drone, as noted in an article by Euronews.

The military UAV is already in use in Ukraine while Baltic and Nordic states, as well as Poland and Belgium, have placed their own orders for Blaze. Origin Robotics founder Agris Kipurs said: “We use AI models for autonomous detection in the air. The secret of success lies in the software.”

Interceptor drone pilot Martinš explained: “When an entire swarm of drones is attacking, the Blaze system can determine which ones carry munitions and which do not.” Blaze then destroys the weaponised attack drones. Martinš also emphasised: “Russian drones fly fast. But the Latvian Blaze is faster.”

Combined with an early-warning system, mobile minivans move to the threatened area and can be deployed almost instantly. Martinš said: “We need one minute to launch the interceptor.”

The widely-reported idea of creating a “drone wall” along the EU’s external border also belongs to DefSecIntel CEO Jaanus Tamm, who said: “This will allow us to intercept drones in the border zone. It’s a unified platform based on trailers or minivans.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Origin Robotics earlier in August and allocated €4.5 million to the firm from the European Defence Fund.

Latvia, together with the UK coordinates the international drone coalition supporting Ukraine and strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities. Major Modris Kairišs, head of the Competence Center for Autonomous Systems, stated: “If enemy drones are coming, they must be stopped here, on the eastern border, not somewhere in Paris or Berlin.”

By Nazrin Sadigova