Freyja anti-ballistic missile system may begin trials this winter – Zelensky

Ukraine hopes to begin initial testing of the new Freyja anti-ballistic missile system this winter. The system is being developed jointly with European partners to counter ballistic missile threats. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this while speaking to journalists alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in Copenhagen on Wednesday, according to a Ukrinform correspondent. “As for Freyja, we are trying to focus on the anti-ballistic missile system. We cannot work on this project on our own. We are very grateful to the Danish defense industry and our other partners. I hope that this winter we will test the new anti-ballistic missile system, the first European system of its kind, and I hope we will achieve some results,” Zelensky said. Read also: Ukraine working with partners on drone escorts for ships in Black Sea The President emphasized that developing the new system was important for the security of not only Ukraine but also the whole of Europe. As Ukrinform reported, Ukraine and its European partners have agreed to jointly develop the Freyja anti-ballistic missile system, which is intended to combine Ukrainian missile technologies with European radars, sensors, and command-and-control systems. Companies already involved in the project include Eurosam, the manufacturer of the SAMP/T system, as well as Leonardo, Thales, and Saab. Ukrainian company Fire Point, which developed the Flamingo cruise missile, has become the project's lead industrial partner. The company announced an agreement with German defense manufacturer HENSOLDT to supply a radar for the system.