When will Freyja intercept ballistic missiles? Ukraine's Fire Point reveals timeline
Photo: Ukraine is developing the Freyja air defense system
Ukrainian company Fire Point has announced the timeline for the first ballistic missile interception under Project Freyja and shared the current stage of its development, according to Reuters.
When the first interception is expected
Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh said the company plans to carry out its first successful ballistic missile interception by mid-2027.
Terekh said 13 European industrial partners have already joined the project, with nearly all key agreements now in place.
What stage is Freyja currently at?
Fire Point is integrating its FP7.X interceptor with guidance systems and radar technology supplied by European partners.
"Right now we are in the most intense and also in the most complicated stage of finally assembling everything together with surveillance radars, with tracking radars, with the seekers," Terekh said.
Norwegian defense company Kongsberg is developing the system's command center, while Germany's Diehl Defence has confirmed it is in talks to provide guidance systems.
A lower-cost alternative to Patriot
Fire Point expects each interceptor to cost no more than €1 million—roughly one-quarter to one-sixth the price of a missile used by the US-made Patriot air defense system.
According to Terekh, the company is trying to accomplish in just a few years what would normally take decades. At least five interceptor missile tests have already been completed.
Developers also said Freyja will feature an open architecture, allowing individual components from different manufacturers to be replaced without redesigning the entire system.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the Freyja project as one of the key priorities for Ukrainian diplomats. He said the system could become a joint European anti-ballistic defense platform.
At the same time, Zelenskyy warned that Russia would likely attempt to disrupt the project and undermine cooperation among partner countries.
For more details on the Freyja project, its capabilities, and technical specifications, see RBC-Ukraine'sreport.
