Estonian Interior Ministry planning use of drones

Photo: SCANPIX

The Estonian Interior Ministry has ordered a study from a local company with a view to working out systems of unmanned aircraft and introduction of such aircraft in Estonia.

The ministry and the Estonian company Threod Systems OU have signed an agreement on process-oriented research under which Threod Systems will offer solutions with the Estonian interior security system in mind for the devising and implementation of systems of unmanned aircraft. The study must be completed by Sept. 10, the ministry said.

Drones would help the police and rescuers in their work in many places where the emergency services would need support from the air but calling in airplanes or helicopters is not possible or not expedient, spokespeople for the ministry said.

«Our goal is simple – to introduce a new tool in the area of interior security. While it won't substitute a helicopter or an aircraft in every situation, it allows to be more flexible and in many cases faster, more efficient and cost-effective,» said the coordinator of the project, adviser to the ministry's department for migration and border guard Rene Allik. «Use of unmanned aircraft in rescue work or as support in police work is nothing innovative today any more, but in order to make maximum use of today's technology one has to use the possibilities of that field smartly,» he said.

Besides the military domain unmanned aircraft are used in many countries of the world in the fight against crime and terrorism, traffic monitoring, mapping and photographing of land, transport of objects through difficult access areas, environmental monitoring, search for missing persons, agriculture, filmmaking and entertainment.