Fire Point plans to deploy FP-7.x ballistic interceptors on the battlefield in mid-2027
Kyiv • UNN
Fire Point plans to deliver the first FP-7.x by the end of 2026, and carry out the first interception of a Freyja ballistic target by the end of 2027. The interceptor will cost approximately $700,000.
Ukrainian FP-7.x ballistic missile interceptors, which are being developed as part of the Freyja antiballistic project, are planned to begin being used on the battlefield in mid-2027. Ukrainian company Fire Point expects to deliver the first domestically produced interceptor by the end of 2026, UNN writes.
Details
As reported by The Times, amid intensifying Russian ballistic missile strikes and a shortage of interceptors for American Patriot air defense systems, the need for Ukraine to create its own missile defense system is becoming increasingly urgent.
The publication, citing Fire Point CEO and CTO Iryna Terekh, notes that after concluding agreements with European partners, the company plans to deliver the first Ukrainian interceptor by the end of this year and deploy it on the battlefield next summer.
We are trying to achieve in a couple of years what usually takes decades. This is a huge responsibility
The Freyja project involves combining into a single system the Ukrainian FP-7.x interceptor developed by Fire Point, German radar technology, and Norwegian guidance technology.
As the publication notes, Patriot is currently the only key system capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, but interceptor stocks are limited, and their cost is approximately $4 million per unit.
By contrast, the FP-7.x interceptor is estimated to cost approximately $700,000. Thus, the creation of Freyja should not only provide Ukraine with its own capability to counter ballistic threats, but also substantially reduce the cost of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
Despite the ambitious timeline for launching Freyja, Ukraine will remain dependent on supplies of American Patriot systems and missiles for them. According to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the shortage of Patriot interceptors has already become one of the key challenges for Ukrainian air defense.
The head of state emphasized: if the United States "sells us 5%, we will survive the winter and save people's lives. If they can sell us 10%, we will destroy all of Russia's ballistic missiles. I have 1%".
At the same time, Fire Point's CEO predicts that the coming winter will be difficult for Ukrainians.
Last winter was difficult, and I expect this one to be even more difficult. And there is only one way to truly get through it: to remember what we are fighting for, and that we have no other choice
At the same time, Fire Point is working on its own FP-7 and FP-9 ballistic missiles. According to Iryna Terekh, the first FP-7 ballistic missile, with a range of up to 300 km and a 150-kg warhead, may be ready as early as this winter. The long-range FP-9 ballistic missile is still under development.
The production of its own ballistic missiles will place Ukraine among the small group of countries that possess such an arsenal, Fire Point's CEO noted.
Additionally
Iryna Terekh said during the DALO Industry Days arms exhibition, which is taking place in Denmark, that Freyja is currently at the stage of integrating all components into a single system and conducting tests.
Right now, we have begun the most interesting part of Freyja's development from an engineering perspective - the technical integration of the entire ecosystem, together with the radars, the launcher, the data transmission channel, and the command center
According to her, tests are conducted up to twice a week, after which the system is adjusted.
The project to create the joint European Freyja antiballistic shield officially began on July 13, when Ukraine and 9 other European countries signed the declaration of the Antiballistic Coalition. At that time, 12 defense companies joined it, including HENSOLDT, Thales, Diehl Defence, Saab, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Weibel, Leonardo, MBDA, Eurosam, Safran, and Destinus.
As UNN reported, according to Fire Point co-founder and chief designer Denys Shtilerman, the involvement of European governments, particularly the German government, has significantly accelerated the implementation of Freyja. Provided that bureaucratic procedures in the partner countries move quickly, the first FP-7.X interceptor missiles could be ready by the end of 2026. Fire Point plans to carry out the first interception of a ballistic target using the Freyja system by the end of 2027.
At the beginning of August, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that new partners were planning to join Freyja.