Estonia may need own light jets to counter Russian drones, says defense minister

Estonia should consider acquiring light jet aircraft to intercept Russia’s jet-powered long-range attack drones, Defense Minister Martin Herem said in an interview published on October 11, 2026.

Herem, who commanded the Estonian Defense Forces from December 2018 to June 2024 and took office as minister on September 16, 2026, spoke to Postimees after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on October 9, 2026. The interview was published in English by The Baltic Sentinel.

Herem said air-to-air weapons fired from aircraft are the most effective way to bring down jet-powered drones.

“Turboprop aircraft may not be enough; we may need light jets,” he said.

Asked whether Estonia should acquire light fighter aircraft, Herem replied that perhaps it should. He pointed to the L-39 Albatros trainers, pilots and air control expertise Estonia already has, and suggested studying whether an aircraft could carry a machine gun or small cannon.

Estonia has jet trainers but no combat aircraft

An Estonian L-39 Albatros taxis after landing at Amari Air Base, Estonia. (Credit: U.S. Air Force photo)

The Estonian Air Force has no combat jets. Its fleet page lists two M28 transport aircraft and leased L-39 jet trainers, used mainly to train intercept controllers and joint terminal attack controllers. Fighter cover comes from allied jets under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission operating from Ämari Air Base, one of which shot down a drone over Estonia on May 19, 2026.

On May 21, 2026, the presidents of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania asked NATO to turn the mission into an air defense mission with counter-drone capabilities.

Herem also cited computer-controlled cannons, heavy machine guns and jet-powered interceptor drones as possible solutions. On October 9, 2026, the Ukrainian presidency announced an agreement to quickly assemble a package of Ukrainian weapons for export to Estonia under the bilateral “Drone Deal”.

Russian jet-powered drones pose a growing challenge

A Russian Geran-4 jet-powered attack drone. (Credit: Defence Intelligence of Ukraine)

Russia’s shift toward jet-powered attack drones is already complicating Ukraine’s defenses. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, the Geran-4 typically flies at 300 and 400 kilometers per hour (185 to 250 miles per hour) and can reach 500 kilometers per hour (310 miles per hour). The aircraft was specifically developed to overcome the growing effectiveness of Ukraine’s low-cost interceptor drones.

Herem said Ukraine’s interception rate against long-range attack drones had fallen from about 90% to about 70%, with roughly 6,000 launched each month. Zelenskyy said the figure dropped to just 57% for jet-powered drones.

Ukraine is responding with faster interceptors of its own. A Ukrainian manufacturer had begun combat trials of a jet-powered interceptor drone capable of exceeding 600 kilometers per hour (373 miles per hour), while several other companies were developing similar systems.

On October 5, 2026, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that AI-assisted robotic machine-gun turrets had successfully shot down Russian jet-powered Geran-5 drones, although their short range limits them to point defense.

The search for affordable drone interceptors

Czech Air Force Aero L-39NG Skyfox. (Credit: castigatio / Shutterstock.com)

The search for an affordable way to intercept long-range attack drones has evolved alongside the threat itself. Propeller-driven Shahed-type drones were slow enough to be intercepted by attack helicopters and turboprop aircraft such as the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano. But Russia’s introduction of faster, jet-powered Shahed derivatives has exposed the speed limitations of those aircraft.

RELATED French Army leaders say Ukraine changing helicopter operations, not ending them

Meanwhile, western air forces have sought to rebalance the cost equation of using expensive multirole fighters and air-to-air missiles against relatively cheap drones. France has tested Thales 68 mm laser-guided rockets on its Rafale fighters, while the Royal Air Force has equipped its Eurofighter Typhoons with APKWS rockets.

These weapons can reduce the cost of each interception, but they do little to address the expense of operating frontline fighters.

Light jets could offer a middle ground: enough speed to intercept jet-powered drones, with lower operating costs than high-performance multirole aircraft.

Poland has already assigned its FA-50 light fighters to counter jet-powered drones, while Aero Vodochody and Thales are developing a counter-drone configuration of the L-39 Skyfox, an updated version of the L-39 Albatros.

Neighboring Latvia is also assessing light combat aircraft for drone interception, although its early public discussions have focused on turboprop options, including the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano.

Herem’s proposal suggests Estonia could follow a similar path, adding a limited national air defense capability without the expense of establishing a conventional fighter fleet.

The post Estonia may need own light jets to counter Russian drones, says defense minister appeared first on AeroTime.