President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz. They discussed work on creating a European anti-ballistic system with the participation of German defense companies within the FREYJA program, reports UNN citing the President's Office.
Details
The head of state thanked Germany for its leadership in strengthening Ukrainian air defense and active support of the PURL program, thanks to which Ukraine is able to purchase scarce anti-ballistic missiles. The President informed about the consequences of massive Russian strikes on Ukraine and the great need for additional missiles for Patriot systems.
The leaders discussed solutions that could help strengthen protection against Russian terror, work with partners in this direction, and further support for PURL.
In addition, Zelenskyy and Merz discussed the preparation of a Drone Deal between Ukraine and Germany and work on creating a European anti-ballistic system with the participation of German defense companies within the FREYA program.
Reminder
Ukraine initiated the creation of an anti-ballistic system, involving European partners. The project was named FREYJA. The missile defense system will be built on the basis of the FP-7.x interceptor missile from the Ukrainian company Fire Point.
The manufacturer expects to produce the first interceptor missiles by the end of 2026. In addition, Fire Point recently signed a memorandum of cooperation with the German radar manufacturer HENSOLDT. Within the project, the company will provide the system with high-tech TRML-4D radars, which will be used for detecting and tracking ballistic targets.
According to co-founder and chief designer of Fire Point, Denys Shtilerman, the company is also finalizing negotiations with one of the European manufacturers regarding the supply of an infrared seeker (IIR) for the interceptor missile. Negotiations are ongoing with another European partner regarding the integration of a radio frequency seeker (RF), which allows tracking a target by electromagnetic radiation.
Shtilerman noted that the involvement of European governments, particularly Germany, significantly accelerated the implementation of the FREYJA project. If bureaucratic procedures in partner countries progress quickly, the first interceptors could be ready by the end of the year.
At the same time, other components are needed to complete the creation of a full-fledged system, which must be provided by European partners. In particular, this concerns a system for real-time data transmission from the radar to the missile, as well as a command and control center.