MILAN — An Estonian tech startup has developed a miniature missile designed to counter low-flying drones that it plans to test in Ukraine this month, as Russian drone attacks continue to cause havoc across the war-torn country.
The Estonia-based company Frankenburg Technologies announced in December that it will conduct the first trial of its Mark 1 anti-aircraft missile in early 2025 in an unspecified location in Ukraine.
The missile is intended to be more affordable than existing counter-drone missiles, and it is designed to use artificial-intelligence software for targeting incoming threats, according to the manufacturer.
The company’s objective is to create missile systems that are “ten times more affordable, a hundred times faster to produce” than current industry outputs, per its website.
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Frankenburg Technologies’ chief executive Kusti Salm, who previously served as a top official in the Estonian Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with Janes that the missile will be able to counter drones flying at altitudes of up to 2 kilometers, or 1.2 miles.
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.
The Estonian company has offices in Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine and will soon open another in the United Kingdom, the British government announced on Dec. 16.
“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 in a statement.
The Ukrainian military has largely relied on a mesh network of electronic-warfare sensors, jammers and small arms to shoot down drones at close ranges. However, these options remain last-defense resorts and are not always effective.
Other companies have offered similar concepts of small and relatively inexpensive drones, including the Lockheed Martin-made miniature hit-to-kill missiles, a small short-range air defense system able to destroy rockets and artillery, as well as MBDA’s small anti-drone missile.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
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