Estonia Integrates CV9035 IFVs into Layered Counter-Drone Air Defense Exercise Shaped by Ukraine War Lessons.

The Estonian Defence Forces announced on May 29, 2026, that the Air Defense Battalion had completed its annual live-fire exercise at Rutja Beach, in a drill that showed how Estonia is reshaping its short-range air-defense posture around the lessons of the war in Ukraine. More than 200 members of the Estonian Defence Forces and the Estonian Defence League trained to destroy enemy air assets using a layered mix of Mistral and Piorun missile systems, ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns, CV9035 infantry fighting vehicles, and Browning heavy machine guns.

Conducted within the wider Kevadtorm 2026, or Spring Storm 2026, training cycle, the exercise highlighted Estonia’s effort to adapt its air-defense doctrine to a battlefield where drones, loitering munitions, helicopters, and low-flying aircraft have made layered defense, rapid target engagement, and unit survivability essential requirements.

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Estonia used CV9035 infantry fighting vehicles alongside Mistral and Piorun missile systems, ZU-23-2 guns, and Browning machine guns in a live-fire exercise designed to strengthen layered air defense and counter-drone operations based on battlefield lessons from Ukraine (Estonian MoD / Edited By Army Recognition Group)

The live-fire phase began on the morning of May 28, 2026, and involved air-defense specialists from the Air Defense Battalion and the Scout Battalion operating in a tactical scenario. The purpose of the training was not limited to firing weapons at aerial targets, but also to practice the full tactical air-defense kill chain. Radar-detected information on simulated enemy air assets was transmitted to missile and gun crews positioned in concealed locations. After receiving fire commands, these crews moved into firing positions and destroyed unmanned aerial vehicles representing hostile threats. This sequence allowed Estonian units to train the complete process from detection and target identification to command transmission, weapon selection, engagement, and post-engagement repositioning.

The commander of the Air Defense Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rajaste, stated that the scenario and objectives of this year’s firing exercise were developed on the basis of both Estonia’s own lessons and those drawn from the war in Ukraine. Particular emphasis was placed on practicing the tactical air-defense kill chain and improving the survivability of air-defense units. This focus is significant because the Ukrainian battlefield has shown that air-defense systems are themselves high-priority targets. Once detected, missile launchers, gun crews, radar systems, and command posts can be targeted by artillery, drones, or loitering munitions. For this reason, survivability increasingly depends on concealment, rapid movement, disciplined emissions, decentralized firing positions, and the ability to engage targets without remaining exposed for long periods.

The exercise also demonstrated the principles of layered air defense. Several targets were reportedly airborne at the same time, giving fire controllers the opportunity to assign different weapons according to target distance, threat profile, and tactical situation. In practical terms, this means that missile systems such as Mistral and Piorun can be used against aircraft, helicopters, or higher-value aerial threats, while gun-based systems and heavy machine guns can provide a lower-cost response against drones or closer targets. This approach reflects a broader shift across NATO and partner armed forces, where the growing use of unmanned systems has forced militaries to combine modern missiles with automatic cannons, legacy anti-aircraft guns, vehicle-mounted weapons, and distributed sensors.

The presence of both Mistral and Piorun systems underlined Estonia’s investment in mobile short-range air defense. Mistral gives Estonian air-defense units a modern infrared-guided surface-to-air missile capability, while Piorun provides a man-portable system that can be dispersed among smaller units. In a Baltic security environment where forces may need to operate under pressure from aircraft, drones, and missile attacks, such systems allow Estonia to complicate enemy air operations at low altitude. Their integration into a live-fire scenario also improves coordination between radar operators, fire controllers, and firing units, which is essential when several threats appear simultaneously and must be prioritized within seconds.

The use of ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft guns showed that older systems continue to have operational relevance when used in the right tactical context. Although originally developed during the Soviet period, the twin 23 mm gun remains useful against low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and certain categories of unmanned aerial systems. The war in Ukraine has reinforced this point, as gun-based air defense has often provided a cost-effective way to counter drones without expending expensive missile interceptors. For Estonia, retaining and training with such systems offers an additional layer of protection, particularly for local defense, rear-area security, and the protection of deployed units against low-altitude threats.

A key feature of the Rutja Beach exercise was the integration of CV9035 infantry fighting vehicles from the Scout Battalion into the air-defense scenario, a detail that gives the drill broader relevance than a conventional missile firing event. Although the CV9035 is primarily built for mechanized infantry operations, its 35 mm Bushmaster III cannon, stabilized fire-control system, optical and thermal sensors, and tracked mobility give it a credible role in close-range counter-drone and low-altitude air-defense missions. During the exercise, Scout Battalion crews practiced detecting, tracking, and engaging hostile aerial targets, destroying different types of drones with the vehicle’s main armament. This demonstrated how an infantry fighting vehicle can become an additional air-defense layer, combining mobile cannon fire, battlefield observation, and close protection for maneuver forces operating under persistent drone threat.

The use of the CV9035 also reflects one of the main lessons of the war in Ukraine: counter-drone defense can no longer be limited to specialized air-defense units or expensive missile interceptors. Small unmanned aerial vehicles are difficult to detect, cheap enough to be used in large numbers, and capable of forcing defenders to waste high-value missiles on low-cost threats. In this environment, a 35 mm cannon linked to modern sights and a stabilized fire-control system can offer a more proportionate response against low-flying drones, especially when crews are trained to identify, track, and engage fast or small targets. By using the CV9035 in this role at Rutja Beach, Estonia showed that its layered air-defense model is expanding beyond traditional missile and gun crews to include armored maneuver platforms able to contribute directly to the counter-UAS fight.

The Browning heavy machine guns used during the exercise further reinforced this layered concept. While the Browning is not a dedicated air-defense weapon, its 12.7 mm firepower can be used against very low, slow, or close aerial threats, especially when engaging small drones at short distances. Within the framework of Spring Storm 2026, live-fire training for Browning operators continued, providing Estonian Defence Forces personnel and Defence League members from across the country with additional experience in countering aerial targets. This is important because drone threats may appear not only near frontline units, but also around logistics areas, command posts, supply routes, and critical infrastructure.

The exercise also placed strong emphasis on night-time air-defense effectiveness. According to Lieutenant Colonel Rajaste, the final phase of the training showed that Estonian air-defense personnel could counter aerial threats at night with effectiveness comparable to daytime operations. This is an important operational point, as drone and missile attacks in Ukraine have frequently occurred at night to exploit reduced visibility, complicate detection, and increase pressure on defending forces. For Estonia, the ability to detect, track, assign, and engage aerial targets in darkness is therefore not a secondary training objective, but a core requirement for national defense.

By integrating missile systems, anti-aircraft guns, infantry fighting vehicles, and heavy machine guns into the same live-fire event, Estonia demonstrated a pragmatic approach to air defense. The exercise did not present any single weapon as a complete solution. Instead, it showed how different systems can be combined to cover different ranges, target types, and tactical conditions. This model is particularly relevant for a country such as Estonia, whose defense planning must account for limited strategic depth, proximity to Russia, and the need to protect both maneuver forces and critical national infrastructure.

Kevadtorm 2026, Estonia’s largest military exercise of the year, provided the wider framework for this training. The exercise is designed to practice the planning and execution of military operations while improving cooperation between Estonian units and allied or partner forces. It brings together active-duty personnel, conscripts, reservists, Defence League members, and allied troops, making it one of the most important annual readiness events for the Estonian Defence Forces. Within that context, the Rutja Beach air-defense live-fire drill offered a concrete demonstration of how Estonia is applying battlefield lessons from Ukraine to its own defense posture.

The exercise at Rutja Beach therefore carries a broader message beyond the technical performance of individual systems. It shows that Estonia is building an air-defense model based on dispersion, survivability, layered engagement, and the integration of both modern and legacy weapons. Mistral and Piorun missiles provide mobile short-range interception, ZU-23-2 guns offer a cost-effective response against low-altitude targets, CV9035 infantry fighting vehicles add mobile cannon-based counter-drone capability, and Browning heavy machine guns provide an additional close-range defensive layer. Together, these systems reflect a battlefield reality in which every available sensor and weapon may be needed to counter drones and other aerial threats.

For Estonia and NATO’s Baltic flank, the significance of the Rutja Beach exercise lies in its realism. The conflict in Ukraine has shown that air defense is no longer limited to protecting strategic sites with high-end missile systems. It now requires distributed units capable of detecting, surviving, moving, and engaging under constant drone observation and fire threat. By training more than 200 personnel in this type of scenario, Estonia is strengthening its ability to defend against the types of aerial threats that have become central to contemporary warfare. The exercise also signals that Baltic defense planning is increasingly shaped by practical battlefield adaptation, where missiles, guns, armored vehicles, and heavy machine guns are combined into a flexible and layered response to evolving air threats.

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Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.