Far cheaper than Patriot missiles: New details on FP-7.x missile disclosed

On August 3, Iryna Telykh, CEO of Ukrainian company Fire Point, told TWZ that the core advantage of Fire Point's FP-7.x "Freya" interceptor missile—compared to the Patriot system's PAC-3 missile—is its significantly reduced cost.

"We are currently conducting secret joint development with two European companies and one Ukrainian enterprise; it's still unclear which technical path is progressing fastest. Our ultimate goal is to keep the total cost of the entire interceptor missile below €1 million. Based on price ranges discussed with our partners for the guidance head, this target is fully achievable. It might not be reached in the initial version, but certainly during mass production."

Telykh explained that the FP-7.x is equipped with an infrared seeker. "One collaboration has already been made public: we are currently integrating products from Diehl Defense. The second collaboration has not yet been approved for disclosure—I need to consult with the other party first." She emphasized that the exact production launch date for the FP-7.x remains undetermined at this stage, as deep technical integration is still underway.

"We certainly hope to achieve production within the coming months; apart from the guidance head, all other components have already reached a good level of maturity."

Telykh stated that the company already has the foundation for large-scale production of the FP-7.x, but still faces real challenges: "The supply volume of guidance heads, their precision, and the final outcome of technical integration are all key areas we are actively addressing right now."

Fire Point is also striving to further improve missile accuracy, optimize energy consumption metrics, and enable large-scale manufacturing of this new interceptor missile. Telykh explained that the FP-7.x is not positioned to compete directly with the PAC-3—it more closely aligns with the PAC-2. "Initial interception will rely on the warhead, using a fragmentation-explosion kill mechanism. Direct impact destruction will be a focus in future iterations. So currently, it’s more like a PAC-2-level product, but capable of much larger-scale production at a lower cost."

Telykh said Fire Point plans to produce at least 2,000 units of this interceptor missile annually, with further capacity expansion planned for the future.

Previously, Telykh had revealed that this Ukrainian company is developing an indigenous turbojet engine. Originally intended for drones, this engine could also be used to power the FP-5 "Phoenix" cruise missile in the future. Fire Point is currently assembling the first batch of 10 prototype turbojet engines featuring its self-developed fan components, aiming to complete development as soon as possible.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1872560114023432/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author