Ukraine has developed a low-cost alternative to Patriot missiles and has already tested the FP-7.x missile — FT
Ukraine has successfully tested a new surface-to-air missile, which is expected to serve as a significantly cheaper alternative to the American Patriot systems and provide protection for Ukrainian cities against massive Russian strikes.
The domestic defense sector is attempting to quickly address the shortage of Western interceptor missiles using its own resources due to limited international supplies, a need underscored by the tragic consequences of recent enemy attacks.
Ukrainian weapons manufacturer Fire Point announced that it conducted the first flight test of its FP-7.x anti-missile interceptor last week, which co-founder Denis Shtylerman described as “quite successful” in an interview with the FT.
The company emphasized that the new development is designed to combat Russian ballistic missiles and drones at a minimal cost compared to Western systems such as Lockheed Martin’s Patriot or the Franco-Italian SAMP-T.
Large-scale production of the Ukrainian anti-missile system is scheduled for late summer 2026, though the systems are not expected to be fully operational until later.
To complete the technological cycle, the company requires critical foreign components, and active efforts are currently underway to secure them.
The new missile will be integrated into a broader air defense system called Freyja. This system is being developed in close cooperation with European defense giants.
The rest of the system’s components—including radars used for detecting and tracking aircraft, as well as the command and control system—will come from European partners.
According to officials, Fire Point has been in talks with Germany’s Hensoldt and France’s Thales regarding radars, Italy’s Leonardo regarding tracking and targeting radars, and Norway’s Kongsberg regarding command and control technologies.
“The completion of this depends on the speed of our Western partners and on when they start moving,” Stillerman emphasized.
The need to develop Freyja arose because global stocks of Patriot missiles have been depleted.
Most of Lockheed Martin’s production went toward replenishing stocks depleted in the war with Iran, which significantly slowed the transfer of ammunition to Ukraine and undermined former confidence in the system.
“Can we count on the Patriot? I don’t think so anymore,” said Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s former foreign minister. “America’s overall industrial capacity, given recent events in Iran, shows that America will keep the best for itself.”
The government also acknowledges the problem of a shortage of American weapons amid the escalating situation in the Middle East.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the country is forced to seek alternative ways to defend its airspace.
“We have replaced everything we could with our own domestic production, but we still cannot replace the PAC-3. We are already working with several countries on developing European anti-ballistic capabilities,” Zelenskyy said, referring to the Freyja system.
This was reported by the Financial Times.
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