“Industrial capacity is the main deterrent,” Euronews quoted Tomas Ermalavaiccius, head of research programs at the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS) in Estonia, as saying.
As European countries invest in air defense systems, they compete for the same radar stations and technologies from a limited number of suppliers.
As a result, procurement queues are growing, costs are rising, and delivery times are stretching for years.
“It’s impossible to provide 100 percent coverage all the time.”
Drone detection remains a bottleneck for the Baltic States.
Drones look different on radar than other targets – airplanes or cruise missiles, Jermalavaicius explained. “They fly low and slow,” he said. – Drones can be confused with a large bird or a flock.”
Sometimes fighter jets are put in the air to assess the threat from an altitude, but that’s expensive.
A priority for the Baltic States, Jermalavaiccius says, should be to invest in short- and ultra-short-range radar stations to better track drones.
The new range of short-range radars could be integrated into the Baltic Air Police system, which includes ground-based early warning stations in three countries.
“Everyone is fighting for the same weaponry.”
However, the number of such radars is limited, so “we have to prioritize very strictly where exactly to place them.”
If the government invests only in short-range radars, it risks underfunding other areas.
“No country can provide 100% cover all the time, everywhere and against all types of threats,” says Ermalavaiccius. – There will always be a drone that gets through.”
The Baltic states should match short-term investments in short-range radars with the purchase of new technologies such as lasers, which are relatively inexpensive and very effective against drones.
However, many obstacles stand in the way of closing the Baltic line of defense.
According to Ermalavaicius, the production and delivery of a single radar system can take up to 24 months, so it all depends on the workload of companies and determines when the Baltic States and the rest of Europe will receive short-range radars.
“Europe faces huge air defense gaps,” he says. – Everyone is competing for the same equipment, going to the same suppliers and manufacturers. As a result, it’s turning into a very tight race.”
