Ukraine and Germany Partner to Develop Ballistic Missile Defense System “Freyja”

The FREYJA Air Defense System marks a major Ukraine-Germany defense breakthrough, combining advanced radar and missile technologies to counter ballistic missile threats.

Ukraine and Germany have moved forward with a major defense cooperation project aimed at countering ballistic missile threats. German sensor specialist Hensoldt and Ukrainian defense company Fire Point have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop the ground-based air defense system FREYJA, designed specifically to detect and intercept ballistic missiles.

The agreement was signed at the Eurosatory defense exhibition in Paris. It marks a new phase of collaboration between the two companies, focusing on integrating combat-proven Ukrainian technologies with advanced German radar systems.Under the memorandum, Hensoldt will handle the production, testing, and delivery of radar components for the FREYJA system. The company will also provide technical support during the integration process. A key element of the system will be Hensoldt’s TRML-4D radar, which has already demonstrated strong performance in real combat conditions. Thanks to its software adaptability, the radar is considered well-suited for ballistic missile defense missions.

Fire Point will serve as the main contractor and system integrator for the project. The Ukrainian company will be responsible for the overall concept of FREYJA, as well as the development and production of the FP-7 ballistic missiles, launchers, and command-and-control systems. Fire Point will also manage the integration of all subsystems into a single operational platform.Hensoldt CEO Oliver Dörre described the partnership as an important step toward building European ballistic missile defense capabilities. “Cooperation with Fire Point on the FREYJA project is a significant step toward a scalable European contribution to ballistic missile defense,” he said. “Ukraine has shown how quickly innovation can emerge under real operational pressure. Our goal is to combine this speed with proven sensor technology, industrial scalability, and system integration.”

The project comes at a time when Ukraine is rapidly expanding its domestic missile production. Fire Point has already developed the long-range cruise missile “Flamingo,” which has been used in combat, including strikes deep inside Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the missile will soon enter mass production.

In addition, Fire Point is developing two ballistic missiles — the FP-7 and FP-9 — which are intended to serve as more affordable alternatives to the American ATACMS, with a reported range of up to 800 kilometers.Earlier reports also indicated that another German company, Diehl Defence, was in discussions with Fire Point about the possible joint production of the “Flamingo” cruise missile in Germany.

The new agreement with Hensoldt further expands this growing defense industrial cooperation between Kyiv and Berlin.The FREYJA system represents an attempt to address one of Ukraine’s most critical defense gaps. While Ukraine has made notable progress in developing long-range strike weapons, effective protection against Russian ballistic missiles remains a major challenge. By combining Hensoldt’s advanced radar technology with Fire Point’s experience in rapid missile development and combat deployment, the two companies aim to create a practical and scalable solution.

The memorandum signed in Paris lays the foundation for further technical work, including system integration and testing. Both sides expect the project to move into the development phase in the coming months.

This cooperation highlights Ukraine’s growing role not only as a consumer of Western defense technology but also as a contributor capable of developing its own advanced weapon systems under wartime conditions.

EMPR