Ukraine, together with European partners, is accelerating the creation of the Freyja anti-ballistic system, which should reduce dependence on American Patriot complexes. The first tests are planned to be conducted this winter, and special offices in Denmark and Norway are being prepared to coordinate the work of defense companies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this on November 10 during a visit to Copenhagen, according to Danish agency Ritzau.
According to the president, Ukraine expects to test soon the first anti-missile defense system developed jointly with European manufacturers.
Special attention is being paid to the creation of coordination offices in Copenhagen and Oslo. They are to unite representatives of various states and defense enterprises responsible for manufacturing Freyja components.
Zelenskyy previously expressed hope that such representations could be opened within a month. Currently, preparations for their creation are underway, rather than already opened offices.
One of the nearest tasks is the integration of radar equipment, guidance systems, and interceptor missiles into a single complex. The president also announced that on November 11 he expects to get acquainted with a new Danish-made radar station for FREYJA.
What is known about the Freyja project
Freyja is a joint Ukrainian-European program to create a missile defense system capable of countering ballistic missiles. Its goal is to provide Ukraine and European countries with their own means of intercepting such targets and reduce dependence on American supplies.
The official start of the program was given on July 13, 2026 in Paris, where representatives of ten states signed a declaration on the creation of an Integrated Anti-Ballistic Coalition.
Its founders included Ukraine, Denmark, Norway, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
In September in Oslo, Zelenskyy held talks with representatives of leading defense companies, including Fire Point, Kongsberg, Weibel, Saab, Diehl Defence, Hensoldt, Thales, Safran, Sener, and Leonardo.
The core of the future system is being developed by the Ukrainian company Fire Point. Ukraine is responsible for the creation of the interceptor missile and launcher, while foreign partners provide other critical components, including radars, target detection and guidance systems.
In October, Zelenskyy announced that the Ukrainian side has completed its part of the work, while the manufacturing and preparation of components by foreign partners are still ongoing.
As Defense News wrote, the program uses an approach where equipment from various European manufacturers can be combined within one complex. This should allow adaptation of the system to the needs of different countries and avoid dependence on a single supplier.
Main difficulties in creating the new system
The most difficult technical task remains the integration of the interceptor missile with the homing head, radars, and fire control system. These components are developed by different companies, so they must not only work separately but also ensure precise guidance of the missile at an extremely fast target.
According to Defense News, one of the bottlenecks of the project is precisely the homing head. Fire Point is cooperating on its creation with German Diehl Defence and other partners.
Additional complexity lies in the need to simultaneously coordinate production in several countries. Delay in delivery of even one critical component can affect the testing schedule of the entire complex.
Developers also aim to make Freyja suitable for serial production and cheaper to operate than American Patriot. However, the economic advantages of the new system have yet to be confirmed after completion of tests and establishment of industrial production.
According to Defense News, Fire Point is targeting production of at least two thousand interceptors per year with a target missile cost of less than $1.2 million. The company clarified that achieving such a price is possible only at the stage of serial production, not during the release of the first prototypes.
When will Freyja be able to intercept ballistic missiles
Despite plans to conduct first tests in winter 2026-2027, this does not mean the complex is ready for full combat use.
Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh stated in September that the company expects to perform the first interception of a ballistic target by mid-2027.
According to her, the project is developing at an accelerated pace, but the new system cannot immediately replace Patriot. This requires completing development, conducting tests, and transitioning to large-scale production.
Thus, the first winter tests should become an important stage in the verification of FREYJA, but the timing of its practical use will depend on technical results and partners' readiness to supply necessary equipment.
For Ukraine, successful implementation of the program means the ability to increase the number of means of protection against Russian ballistic attacks without full dependence on production volumes of American interceptor missiles.
By materials: Ritzau, Defense News, Ukrinform
