Estonia, Greece pioneer first drone-launched laser-guided rocket

Estonian drone manufacturer Threod Systems, in partnership with Greek company S.A.S. Technology, has successfully tested a next-generation unmanned precision-strike system, marking a global first.

During the exercise, a Thales 70 mm laser-guided rocket was launched from an unmanned platform for the first time, with target designation provided by Threod’s Eos VTOL drone, Caliber.Az reports, citing Estonian media.

The milestone test took place last week during the Greek Armed Forces’ exercise Aisios Omenos – 25, where the laser-guided munition produced by Belgian defence manufacturer Thales was deployed from an unmanned system for the first time worldwide.

The rocket was launched from S.A.S. Technology’s Sarisa II SRS multirotor drone and guided to impact by the Eos VTOL platform. Threod confirmed that the strike successfully hit a NATO-standard target.

The newly demonstrated precision-strike capability integrates several advanced components: Threod’s Eos VTOL reconnaissance UAV equipped with the new eOpic-6-ISTAR gimbal; S.A.S. Technology’s versatile Sarisa II SRS platform capable of firing 70 mm air-to-ground rockets; and Thales’ FZ275 LGR laser-guided munitions.

Within the system, the Eos VTOL serves as the intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and fire-control asset. Its eOpic-6-ISTAR payload features a powerful NATO-standard laser designator, enabling pinpoint targeting previously limited to much larger platforms.

Threod Systems CEO Arno Vaik hailed the achievement as a model of how defence cooperation among allied nations can extend beyond military operations into Europe’s defence-industrial sector.

He noted that the emerging unmanned strike system could complement—or even replace—traditional manned air-strike assets, significantly improving safety for pilots and operators.

The system stands out as a breakthrough because capabilities once exclusive to large crewed aircraft—laser designation and guided rocket deployment—have now been successfully adapted to lightweight unmanned platforms. This dramatically broadens access to precision-strike technology while reducing costs. According to Threod, the system may cost multiple times less than existing UAV solutions equipped with comparable targeting and strike capabilities.

Threod Systems, an Estonian defence technology company, develops unmanned aerial vehicles, electro-optical camera systems, and launch systems for deep-strike drones. Its products are deployed in nearly 30 countries, including more than a dozen NATO member states as well as Ukraine.

By Vafa Guliyeva