While Europe reimagines its own security and Patriot missile stocks dwindle amid new conflicts, Ukraine is pushing its own response to the ballistic threat. Project Freya is not just another type of weapon, but an attempt to formulate a new architecture of collective defense, where Kyiv acts not as a consumer, but as an equal creator of a new security system. Read more about the pan-European anti-ballistic shield and its launch timeline in the UNN report.
What is known about Project Freya and the participation of the Ukrainian company Fire Point
In May, Denys Shtilerman, co-founder and chief designer of Fire Point, announced that his company is participating in the creation of a pan-European air and missile defense system. It is intended to become a cheaper alternative to the Patriot system, the shortage of missiles for which is felt not only by Ukraine.
To protect against ballistic threats, the use of the FP-7.x interceptor missile is planned, which already underwent its first tests in February 2026. The cost of one interception is estimated at less than $1 million — significantly lower than Western systems like the Patriot PAC-3.
Regarding the FP-7.x interceptor missile, it is known that it will reach speeds of 1500–2000 m/s, its length is 7.25 m, external diameter is 1.15 m, and fuselage diameter is 0.53 m.
It is equipped with a semi-active Image Infra-Red homing head from Diehl Defence (the manufacturer of IRIS-T).
The system will be built on the basis of a lightweight mobile launcher of Ukrainian manufacture. The use of ground-based long-range early warning radars is planned. Three variants of such systems are being considered: Giraffe 8A/4A produced by the Swedish concern SAAB, Thales Ground Master 400 (France), or Hensoldt TRML-4D (Germany). The illumination and guidance radar will be the Weibel GFTR-2100/48 or Leonardo KRONOS Land. The command post will be deployed based on the Norwegian Kongsberg Fire Distribution Center. Its feature will be an open architecture and a Network Access Nodes module, which will allow for custom integrations. Communication between all elements of the system is carried out via the Link 16 tactical data link, standardized according to STANAG 5516. This protocol is the primary interface for integrating Freya into Ukraine's existing air defense system.
As Shtilerman stated, the key difference of Project Freya is its independence from external control. He explained that modern Western air defense systems often operate in a closed architecture format, where the supplier country or manufacturer effectively retains control over critical elements of the system.
"Freya is about ballistic interception. We proposed a pan-European anti-ballistic shield based on our interceptor and based on an open architecture and a software solution that will prove to the end-user that this solution can never be turned off by the manufacturer, the company that sold it to them, or the country that sold it to them,"
In fact, this is about a new philosophy of weaponry: not just buying a security system, but gaining full sovereignty over it.
When the ballistic defense system might become operational
It is known that in addition to Ukraine, Germany, France, and Norway are participating in the project. Sweden confirmed its participation just the other day.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he personally supports the idea of launching the anti-ballistic shield.
"I am pushing this idea, which is very difficult because no one wants to have strong competitors. I am constantly pushing the idea of Ukrainian ballistics and Ukrainian anti-ballistics,"
At the same time, not only Russia is uninterested in the creation of a Ukrainian ballistic missile and ballistic defense, but also certain arms manufacturers who feel powerful competition.
And here the big game begins. Despite the fact that experts, including "Militarnyi" portal observer Vadym Kushnikov, say that the system can be launched quite quickly, as it is mostly based on existing working components that only need to be integrated, the prospects for a rapid launch still raise questions.
Recently, Denys Shtilerman stated that Ukraine has a chance to conduct the first ballistic interception with its own FP-7.x missile by the end of the year, provided that the launch program does not face obstacles.
"If everyone runs very fast, then by the end of the year we will be able to make the first interception, but everyone needs to do it very quickly, and any media scandal is very disruptive. Now we have already lost a whole month writing to everyone and telling everyone that Mindich has nothing to do with us. We are very grateful to the NABU for providing a letter that satisfied our foreign partners, stating that there is no case against Fire Point or its owners," Shtilerman stated.
This refers not only to the media discussion of the possible involvement of the main figure in the "Midas case," Timur Mindich, in the company — which has been repeatedly denied by Fire Point representatives — but also to the fact that the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC) likely sent letters to the embassies of partner countries containing the company's design documentation and strong recommendations not to cooperate with the company. These actions had consequences, as the program was supposed to start as early as June 2025, but due to additional compliance checks, the actual launch shifted to February 2026. Ultimately, the company passed all additional checks, and public confirmations of participation in the project from at least four European countries speak for themselves. European partners have given Freya the "green light."
The interest in collective defense from European countries is entirely logical and based on the realization of the threat from Russian ballistics and the fact that the US is increasingly distancing itself from the defense of Europe. European partners have also come to realize the changing logic of war, where the advantage goes to those capable of quickly implementing the cheapest possible innovative solutions. And Ukraine is becoming the flagship of this process.
"We realized that you, as a country, are capable of producing faster, more creatively, and smarter than the rest of us, even though we are not at war. And that, frankly, is quite uncomfortable for the rest of Europe, but at the same time, it is truly impressive," stated Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
As aviation expert Kostyantyn Kryvolap pointed out in a recent interview, the factor of whether European partners can agree among themselves remains important. This is traditionally a weak point of pan-European defense initiatives, and Freya is no exception, but as the expert emphasizes, Fire Point is doing powerful work.
Therefore, the main thing is not to interfere with the project's launch process. Freya, once launched, will not be just another air defense system. It is a precedent: for the first time, Ukraine can enter the pan-European security architecture not as a consumer of aid, but as an equal technological partner. And, perhaps, as a country that has defined the standards for a new stage of defense sovereignty.