Fast and fearless: Baltic defence startups innovate to counter Russian threat

One of the lessons of the war in Ukraine is that military technology evolves very rapidly, with the world's first-ever drone war making it harder for conventional armies to make gains on the battlefield. But they may also herald a new dystopian future, where ordinary civilians become targets of flying objects manned by faraway operators. Entrepreneurs in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have taken note. The Baltic region is already home to several companies that are well known internationally, such as Bolt, Skype and Vinted. Since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, the startup scene has focused on developing defence technologies. The resulting innovations may be a low-cost and scalable solution to deterring Russian aggression, experts told FRANCE 24. Faced with technological shifts on the battlefield in Ukraine, “startups tend to be able to equally rapidly develop technologies themselves”, said Tony Lawrence, research fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security. “It’s about providing niche solutions that bigger defence primes don’t traditionally have the ability to deal with,” he added. The startups focus on autonomy – combining AI with har...