Ukraine is aiming to develop a prototype of its European-backed Freyja anti-ballistic defence system in the first half of 2027, a senior official said, as Kyiv works with allies and defence manufacturers to build a weapon capable of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles.
Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, who oversees the Freyja project, said an international steering committee responsible for estimating research and development costs is expected to meet for the first time soon.
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The anti-ballistic coalition was formally launched at a summit in Paris two weeks ago, bringing together leaders from 10 European countries, including
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, along with around a dozen defence manufacturers.
“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 prototype that can already demonstrate its first practical results.”
Ukraine seeks alternative to Patriot system
Ukraine remains heavily reliant on the US-made Patriot air defence system, the only weapon in its arsenal capable of reliably intercepting Russian ballistic missiles travelling at several times the speed of sound.
However, supplies of Patriot systems have been affected by political uncertainty, limited stockpiles and lengthy production timelines.
Russia has intensified ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv and the southern port city of Odesa this month, launching dozens of missiles, most of which Ukraine was unable to intercept because of a shortage of interceptor missiles.
Ukraine has said it is ready to contribute a launcher and an interceptor missile to the Freyja project. Zelenskyy said earlier this month that the interceptor was “just a matter of testing” and expressed hope that the system would become operational within a year.
European partners to contribute key technologies
Kyiv expects partner countries to provide technologies, including advanced radar systems, sensors and expertise in missile guidance and control electronics.
Defence companies participating in the initiative include Eurosam, which manufactures the SAMP-T interceptor system, as well as Leonardo, Thales and Saab.
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Ukrainian missile and drone manufacturer Fire Point, which developed the Flamingo cruise missile, will serve as the lead industrial partner for the project. Last month, the company announced an agreement with German defence manufacturer Hensoldt to supply radar technology for Freyja.
Freyja designed as an open system
The Freyja project aims to create a lower-cost alternative to the Patriot system, which is also widely used by several European countries. Other air defence systems, including the Franco-Italian SAMP/T and Germany’s IRIS-T, have yet to demonstrate the ability to intercept ballistic missiles.
Zelenskyy has likened the Freyja coalition to Lego, describing it as a system that combines components from different defence manufacturers.
Aloian said manufacturers had been asked to develop an open architecture that would allow countries to integrate their own equipment.
“The overall logic of this system is that it’s an open architecture,” he said. “So if Denmark says ‘I want the Freyja system with a Danish-made Weibel radar,’ that’s fine. If Sweden says they want the Saab system, that’s no problem either.”