Ukraine wishes for the prototype of the European anti-ballistic system codenamed “Freyja” to be ready in the first half of next year, a high-ranking official revealed to Reuters, in the context where Kiev is pressuring its allies to contribute to the creation of a weapon capable of shooting down Russian missiles.
Davyd Aloian, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, who oversees the Freyja project, announced that an international steering committee tasked with estimating research and development costs is set to meet for the first time soon.
The leaders of 10 European countries, among them the Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski, as well as about a dozen defense manufacturers, gathered at a summit in Paris two weeks ago to officially launch the antiballistic coalition.
Romania is not among the countries that have initiated this project. These are Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.
Prototype by the first half of the year 2027
“Considering that we are working within such a tight timeframe, we have an ambitious goal: to have a MVP (minimum viable product) ready by the first half of next year,” said Aloian.
“It’s about a prototype that can already demonstrate its first practical results,” he added.
Ukraine chronically depends on the Patriot air defense systems manufactured in the USA, which represent the only weapon in its arsenal capable of reliably shooting down Russian ballistic missiles, which move at a speed several times greater than that of sound.
The supply of Patriot systems has been affected by political instability, reduced stocks, and a lengthy production cycle.
This month, Russia has escalated its ballistic attacks on the capital Kiev and the strategic southern port, Odesa, launching dozens of missiles, most of which Ukraine could not shoot down due to a lack of interceptor missiles.
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