Estonia is to build a rare drone and defence technology testing laboratory in Tallinn, in a move aimed at helping Baltic and Nordic companies bring battlefield-relevant systems into production more quickly.
Metrosert, the state-owned applied research centre and national metrology institute, said the nearly €7 million facility would test two increasingly important features of modern defence technology: whether equipment can withstand electronic interference, and how visible it is to radar.
A rare testing capability for Europe
The laboratory will be built at Metrosert’s drone technologies testing centre in Haabersti, Tallinn, and is expected to open in spring 2027.
Its creation comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine has underlined the importance of drones, electronic warfare and rapid military innovation. Developers of unmanned systems must increasingly prove not only that their technology works, but that it can survive jamming, hostile signals and detection on the battlefield.
Metrosert said the new laboratory would be able to test anything from small electronic devices to large vehicles and integrated weapons systems. Comparable testing facilities in Europe are rare and heavily booked, creating delays for companies trying to move from prototype to full-scale production.
Rainer Kivimäe, head of the drone technologies unit at Metrosert’s Applied Research Centre, said the laboratory would fill a significant gap in regional testing capacity.
“The changed security environment and the lessons learned from the ongoing war in Europe provide us with the opportunity to incorporate authentic radar and electronic warfare data into our laboratory testing,” Kivimäe said. “This allows us to evaluate how systems are detected in real-world conditions and how their visibility can be reduced.”
From lab testing to field trials
The contract to build the laboratory has been awarded to a consortium formed by ETS-Lindgren Oy of Finland and March MicroWave Systems B.V. of the Netherlands.
JJ Vachoux, ETS-Lindgren’s regional managing director, said the project would help create “world-class testing capabilities” in the region.
The laboratory will form part of a broader drone testing centre being developed by Metrosert. The centre will include facilities for climate, vibration, acoustics, materials, corrosion, ingress protection and accelerated life testing, as well as a dedicated field testing area for drones and unmanned systems.
Metrosert said the centre would mainly serve defence companies, drone developers and manufacturers of large systems in the Nordic and Baltic region. An accreditation process will be launched alongside the laboratory to ensure that testing meets international standards.
