Fire Point accelerates the creation of FREYJA - the first interceptors may appear this year

Ukrainian company Fire Point expects to produce the first FP-7.X interceptor missiles for the European missile defense system FREYJA by the end of 2026, co-founder and chief designer Denys Shtilerman said in an interview, UNN reports.

Last week, Fire Point signed a memorandum of cooperation with German radar manufacturer HENSOLDT. Under the project, the company will provide the system with high-tech TRML-4D radars, which will be used to detect and track ballistic targets.

According to Shtilerman, the company is also finalizing negotiations with one of the European manufacturers regarding the supply of an infrared homing head (IIR) for the interceptor missile. In addition, negotiations are ongoing with another European partner on the integration of a radio frequency homing head (RF), which allows tracking a target by electromagnetic radiation.

Shtilerman noted that the involvement of European governments, particularly Germany, has significantly accelerated the implementation of the FREYJA project. If bureaucratic procedures in partner countries move quickly, the first interceptors could be ready by the end of the year.

Something has changed: our government and many other European governments, including the German government, have joined the initiative. If all European governments start acting quickly, we could have interceptors by the end of this year

At the same time, other components that must be provided by European partners are needed to complete the creation of a full-fledged system. In particular, this concerns a system for transmitting data from the radar to the missile in real time, as well as a command and control center.

According to Shtilerman, Ukrainian wartime conditions allow for much faster testing of new developments than is possible in European countries.

In Europe, this can take from six months to a year. We need one day

Recall

On June 18, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the signing of an agreement between Ukraine and Germany on the joint development of European anti-ballistic capabilities. According to the head of state, the company Fire Point has already joined the project, and Ukraine is calling on other European countries to join the initiative to create a joint missile defense system.