Europe launches Freya missile defence project to counter ballistic threat

Europe's newly formed anti-ballistic missile defence coalition will oversee the development of the Freya missile defence system aimed at strengthening the continent's ability to intercept ballistic missiles, European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius said.

Speaking in an interview with European Pravda, Kubilius said Europe needed a project such as Freya to address growing gaps in missile defence capabilities.

He said representatives of Ukrainian defence company Fire Point had presented the project during recent talks in Kyiv, describing it as a system that would be less expensive than comparable alternatives and designed for large-scale production.

According to Kubilius, Fire Point says it can manufacture around 3,000 FP-7.x anti-ballistic interceptor missiles a year, compared with annual U.S. production of roughly 700 to 800 PAC-3 interceptor missiles for the Patriot air defence system.

Kubilius said the shortage of weapons capable of intercepting ballistic missiles remained a major challenge for both Ukraine and Europe.

He added that an effective missile defence system would require more than interceptor missiles, including advanced radars, data-processing capabilities, and command-and-control systems. While Ukraine could provide some of these elements, he said, other components would need to come from different partners.

Kubilius said the European Union could play a role in supporting the development of the Freya project.

The Integrated Anti-Ballistic Defence Coalition was established following its inaugural meeting in Paris on July 13 and is intended to strengthen Europe's collective missile defence capabilities.

By Aghakazim Guliyev