Miniature anti-drones missile to be tested in Ukraine
Frankenburg Technologies’ Mark 1 anti-aircraft missile, a new type of miniature missiles developed by an Estonia-based company which can counter low-flying drones is set to be tested in Ukraine in the month.
The latest test is set to be conducted at an unspecified location in Ukraine. The weapon is expected to benefit Kyiv as Russia has been increasingly using its drone attacks against Ukraine.
The AI-powered air defense missiles can reportedly engage targets at altitudes up to 1.25 miles (2 kms). Reports claimed that if tests are successful, Kyiv is expected to approve it for further use.
The company claimed that it produced inexpensive anti-drone missiles using precision targeting software.
Ukrainian defense analysts have noted that the attack profile of Iranian-made Shahed drones has evolved in recent months, where they are now often reported to fly at low heights ranging between two to five kilometers to avoid being struck by ground defenses, reported Defense News.
The Estonian company also established a new office in U.K. “The rapidly growing company already collaborates closely with the British defense industry, sourcing a significant portion of its subsystems locally, and it will invest €50 million ($52 million) into the U.K. for research and development into low-cost rocket motors,” the British prime minister’s office said earlier in a statement.
The company has maintained that the production will begin with a few dozen units per week, and it’s likely to ramp up to hundreds by the third quarter of 2025. The missile test set to be conducted in Ukraine is aimed at confirming the system’s effectiveness under real combat conditions.
Hanno Pevkur, Estonian Defense Minister, underlined earlier that the country supports Ukraine’s military production capabilities. He stressed that Ukraine can manage its defense effectively if adequately resourced.
Pevkur feels that Ukrainians can handle all of this when other countries deliver everything Kyiv needs to fight Russia.
The anti-drone missiles can help Ukraine to counter Russia’s surging drone attacks. Reports revealed that Russia deployed 2,576 drones in November, up from 2,023 in October.
In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to speed up drone production nearly tenfold to continue to nightly assaults on Ukraine.
Frankenburg Mark 1 in-development missile can intercept targets at the same altitude as the Shahed-131 (Russian version Geran-1) and Shahed-136 (Geran-2) drones typically fly.
Reports claimed that production facilities for the missiles can be established in Ukraine if the tests are successful.
Frankenburg CEO Kusti Salm claimed that the company’s goal with new missile is to help Ukraine win this war. “To achieve that, we are offering a prototype of a new, affordable missile for downing airborne targets, particularly UAVs,” added Salm.
