Freyja enters final stage: agreement signed to integrate German Hensoldt radars into European anti-ballistic shield
Kyiv • UNN
Hensoldt and Fire Point have signed an agreement to create the Freyja anti-ballistic shield. The system will combine German radars and Ukrainian FP-7.x missiles.
German radar systems manufacturer Hensoldt has joined the project to create the Freyja pan-European anti-ballistic shield. The German company and the Ukrainian long-range weapons manufacturer Fire Point signed a corresponding agreement on the sidelines of one of the largest weapons exhibitions, Eurosatory-2026 in Paris, reports a correspondent for UNN.
The German company Hensoldt is one of Europe's leading manufacturers of high-tech radar systems and has long cooperated with Ukraine. In particular, the TRML-4D radar stations, used as part of the IRIS-T SLM anti-aircraft missile systems, have demonstrated high efficiency during the repelling of Russian air attacks.
Last year, the company announced a large-scale expansion of production, so it is expected that starting next year, Hensoldt will be able to produce about a thousand radars per year. This will be one of the highest indicators among manufacturers of such equipment.
As Fire Point explained, the Freyja project was designed in such a way as to be able to integrate various types of radars, including those of German manufacture. The radar systems covered by the agreement include the multifunctional TRML-4D, capable of simultaneously detecting and tracking over 1,500 targets at a range of up to 250 kilometers, as well as the SPEXER 2000 3D MkIII, designed for detecting and classifying ground, sea, and air targets at low altitudes.
"Now we will begin to integrate it (the German radar complex - ed.) with our missile, with the situational center, and receive commands from it, from our missile, directing it to the zone where the missile's seeker can already intercept the ballistics,"
Connecting German radar complexes to Freyja is one of the main stages in creating a full-fledged air defense system capable of protecting Europe from ballistics. After this, the project will be able to move to the testing stage and the completion of the anti-ballistic shield.
Fire Point noted that all companies they cooperate with undergo several stages of verification. This includes KYC verification (a mandatory identity verification procedure used by banks and fintech companies), verification through authorized bodies, background checks on company employees and systems, information exchange methods, confidentiality checks, and several other procedures that are standard in the field of military production.
The core of the Freyja system is the Ukrainian FP-7.x ballistic interceptor missile, created by the Ukrainian manufacturer Fire Point. It is called an analog of the American Patriot PAC-3 system. However, the Ukrainian missiles are significantly cheaper, with a price of about 700,000 dollars per unit compared to 3.8 million dollars for a single American one.
During a recent test, the FP-7.x reached a flight altitude of 25 kilometers, which is comparable to the performance of the Patriot system.
In addition to German long-range detection radars, Freyja will also include the Weibel GFTR-2100/48 or Leonardo KRONOS Land illumination and guidance radar. The command post will be based on the Norwegian Kongsberg Fire Distribution Center complex. One of the key features of the system will be its open architecture and the use of Network Access Nodes modules, which will allow for the integration of additional solutions and components.
Data exchange between all elements of the complex will be carried out via the Link 16 tactical channel, standardized according to STANAG 5516. This specific protocol is intended to ensure the integration of Freyja into the existing air defense system of Ukraine and other European countries.
"If Ukraine builds a pan-European anti-ballistic shield based on its interceptors, it will allow Ukraine to secure its defense budget solely through the sale of licenses for these interceptors,"
According to Denys Shtilerman, the company is demonstrating that Ukraine is now not only receiving aid from partners but has already become an integral part of the European security strategy. "We can produce rather complex things in very large quantities. And we are moving very quickly, so we are proposing to organize European security on completely new foundations regarding, for example, the anti-ballistic shield," Shtilerman said.
As a reminder
Earlier, UNN reported that Freyja could also receive Swedish Saab Giraffe 4A and Giraffe 8A radars, as well as French Thales Ground Master 400 long-range radars. Whether the system will use Hensoldt solutions exclusively is currently unknown.