The Baltic states need to begin adapting their defenses now based on the experience of the war in Ukraine, rather than waiting for a universal and fully developed system for protection against drones.
This conclusion was reached by General (R), Former Estonian Chief of Defense, Martin Herem and Major General (R), Former Commander of the Estonian Division Veiko-Vello Palm.
In their assessment, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania should implement solutions that have already proven effective on the Ukrainian battlefield, even if some of them will have to be replaced with more advanced systems in a few years.
This includes not only electronic warfare systems, interceptor drones, and specialized air defense systems.
Simpler measures also play a significant role, including protective nets over roads and positions, additional screens on armored vehicles, covered trenches, reinforced shelters, decoys, and the dispersal of units.
The Baltic states need to build up stocks of materials and equipment in advance, prepare repair units, and establish cooperation between the military and local authorities, construction companies, and industrial enterprises.
The authors emphasize that a single electronic warfare system, air defense system, or interceptor drone cannot protect an entire territory or operate equally effectively against all types of drones.
Defense should therefore combine expensive technical systems with inexpensive passive measures, while also maintaining the ability to quickly restore communications, power supplies, logistics, and command and control after strikes.
They say the main lesson from Ukraine’s experience is not any specific measure, fortification, or type of weapon, but the ability to constantly change tactics, abandon outdated solutions, and introduce new ones faster than the adversary.
In modern warfare, such adaptability effectively becomes a distinct combat capability and quality.
