Codenamed Freyja, project relies on allies pooling radars, sensors, control electronics<\/p>\n
Ukrainian service members walk next to a launcher of a Patriot air defence system, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in an undisclosed location, Ukraine, August 4, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS <\/p>\n
Ukraine\u00a0wants\u00a0a\u00a0prototype\u00a0for a\u00a0European\u00a0anti-ballistic\u00a0system\u00a0codenamed Freyja to be ready within the first half of next year, a senior official said, as Kyiv pushes its allies to help deliver a weapon capable of downing Russian\u00a0missiles.<\/p>\n
Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of\u00a0Ukraine’s National Security and\u00a0Defence\u00a0Council, who oversees the Freyja project, said that an international steering committee tasked with estimating the research and development costs was due to convene for the first time soon.<\/p>\n
Leaders from 10\u00a0European\u00a0countries, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as well as around a dozen\u00a0defence\u00a0manufacturers gathered at a summit in Paris two weeks ago to officially launch the anti-ballistic coalition<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Since we’re working within such a tight timeframe, we have an ambitious goal: to have an MVP (minimum viable product) ready by the first half of next year,” Aloian said. “That is a\u00a0prototype\u00a0that can already demonstrate its first practical results.”<\/p>\n Ukraine\u00a0is chronically dependent on United States<\/a>-made Patriot air\u00a0defence\u00a0systems, which is the only weapon in its arsenal capable of reliably downing Russia’s ballistic\u00a0missiles, which travel at several times the speed of sound.<\/p>\n Read:\u00a0Germany funds 50,000 strike drones for Ukraine, source says<\/a><\/p>\n Supplies of Patriots have been affected by political volatility, low stocks and a lengthy production cycle.<\/p>\n Russia has stepped up its ballistic strikes<\/a> on the capital Kyiv and southern port hub of Odesa <\/a>this month, launching dozens of\u00a0missiles, most of which\u00a0Ukraine\u00a0was unable to down due to lack of interceptors.<\/p>\n Ukraine\u00a0is ready to provide the Freyja project with a launcher and an interceptor\u00a0missile, which Zelenskiy described this month as just a “matter of testing”. The Ukrainian leader has said he hopes to see the\u00a0system\u00a0operational within a year.<\/p>\n Kyiv expects its allies to contribute technology, such as modern radars, sensors, and expertise on\u00a0missile\u00a0guidance and control electronics. The\u00a0defence\u00a0companies that have joined the effort so far include Eurosam – which manufactures the SAMP-T interceptor\u00a0system\u00a0– as well as Leonardo, Thales and Saab.<\/p>\n Ukrainian\u00a0missile\u00a0and drone manufacturer Fire Point, which developed the Flamingo cruise\u00a0missile, has said it will be the lead industrial partner on the project. It announced a deal with German defence manufacturer Hensoldt to provide radar for the project last month.<\/p>\n Open system architecture<\/p>\n Freyja is an attempt to build a lower-cost alternative to \u200cthe Patriot, which many\u00a0European\u00a0countries also rely on. Other air\u00a0defence\u00a0systems, such as Franco-Italian SAMP\/T and German IRIS-T, have not yet proven capable of downing ballistic\u00a0missiles.<\/p>\n Zelenskiy compared the Freyja coalition to Lego – slotting together pieces of equipment from\u00a0defence\u00a0industry leaders.<\/p>\n