Ukrainian defense tech company Fire Point reports the completion of the first stage of development for the new Freyja missile defense system project and readiness to begin mass production of the Ukrainian FP-7.X anti-ballistic interceptor missile by the end of the month.
"Freyja’s first milestone complete. FP-7X could enter mass production as early as August, once Fire Point receives German-made infrared seekers from Diehl Defence. European defence giants including Eurosam, Leonardo, Thales and Saab have joined the defence project. More is yet to come," the company reported on the social network X on Thursday.
On August 4, CEO of Fire Point Iryna Terekh reported the start of the integration phase of European components into the new Freyja missile defense system project. According to her, 13 European industrial partners have already joined the initiative, and their total number may grow to 20. In particular, Norwegian company Kongsberg is working on developing the command center, while German Diehl Defence is negotiating the supply of guidance systems. The project involves combining the Ukrainian FP-7.X interceptor missile with European-made radar and optoelectronic systems.
"We are currently in the most intense, as well as the most complex stage of final integration of all components – surveillance radar systems, tracking radar systems, and homing heads," told Terekh, noting that Fire Point plans to execute the first successful interception by mid-2027.
The primary goal of the project is to create an effective and relatively inexpensive means of intercepting ballistic missiles. Fire Point expects that the cost of a single interceptor missile will not exceed EUR 1 million, which is 4 to 6 times cheaper than missiles for the American Patriot system. The company plans to carry out the first successful interception of a ballistic target by mid-2027.
"We are trying to squeeze a program that usually takes 20-30 years into a framework of a few years," said Terekh, adding that at least five tests of the interceptor missile have already been conducted.
