This Estonian firm helps launch Ukraine’s combat drones

This Estonian firm helps launch Ukraine’s combat drones

LONDON — Incorporating combat experience from Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion, Estonian company Threod Systems is expanding its range of drone launchers and unmanned aerial vehicles employed in the war.

“Whenever you see a long-range drone hit a target inside Russia, it is likely that our launcher was used by the Ukrainian military to facilitate that,” Ranno Pajuri, the chief commercial officer of Threod Systems, told Defense News at the 2025 DSEI UK show in London.

“Since the start of the war in 2022, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have started to use our CATA pneumatic launchers extensively. The launchers we make are silent and efficient, and they require just four minutes between launches,” he said.

Threod Systems’ pneumatic drone launchers are used widely by Ukrainian forces, according to the vendor. (Threod Systems)

In addition to Ukraine and its domestic market, the Estonian manufacturer has also supplied its drone launchers to a number of countries in Europe, including Finland, the Netherlands and Lithuania, among others, as well as clients in the Middle East and Africa, according to Pajuri.

The company is also intensifying efforts to enter the U.S. market, company representatives said.

“Throughout its history, Threod has delivered its products to 27 countries, including 13 NATO member states and Ukraine,” according to the manufacturer.

Mikk Murumäe, the co-founder and chief technology officer of Threod Systems, said the company supplied the first of its vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone in 2020. Since then, Threod Systems has used feedback from Ukrainian operators to improve the software algorithms and operating procedures for its craft.

“We have a training center in Ukraine where we train operators in challenging conditions similar to those that they will later face in warfare. We work with these operators to make our products increasingly convenient for end users,” according to Murumäe.

In the meantime, amid a rising demand for its output, Threod Systems is readying new products to be introduced to the market. This includes its next drone, the EOS D VTOL, which is scheduled to be released in 2026, as well as new variants of its UAV launchers.

Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.

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