Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
If there’s a country that knows what it takes do defend itself against missiles and drones, that’ll be it.
On July 13, ten European countries released a joint declaration on the establishment of a European anti-ballistic missile shield.
European heavyweights like France, Germany and the United Kingdom are part of the coalition working for a joint missile shield, and Ukraine was also among the signatories of the joint declaration.
And it is very likely that Europe’s new missile shield will be produced by the European country with the most experience in fighting off air strikes.
Race against time
Kyiv is pushing hard to build a new European anti-ballistic shield named Freyja, aiming for a working prototype early next year, Reuters reported.
The urgency comes after heavy Russian missile strikes hammered Kyiv and the port of Odesa this month.
Currently, Ukrainian air defences rely almost entirely on American Patriot systems to stop incoming missiles flying at hypersonic speeds. However, political gridlock, shrinking stockpiles, and slow factory production have created dangerous gaps in coverage.
To solve the crisis, leaders from ten European nations and a dozen defence firms met in Paris to form a new alliance. Davyd Aloian, deputy secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, oversees the initiative and confirmed a steering committee will meet soon to outline costs.
Open and practical
“Since we’re working within such a tight timeframe, we have an ambitious goal: to have an MVP (minimum viable product) ready by the first half of next year,” Aloian said. “That is a prototype that can already demonstrate its first practical results.”
Existing European systems like the Franco-Italian SAMP-T and German IRIS-T have not yet proven they can stop ballistic targets. Freyja aims to fill that void as a cheaper, more accessible alternative.
The project relies on mixing parts from multiple contractors. Ukrainian manufacturer Fire Point serves as the main industrial lead, supplying launchers and test missiles while German maker Hensoldt supplies advanced radar.
Other major players include Eurosam, Leonardo, Thales, and Saab.
Building like Lego
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy compared the strategy to Lego blocks, where allies slot together modular components to fit their needs.
“The overall logic of this system is that it’s an open architecture,” Aloian explained. “So if Denmark says ‘I want the Freyja system with a Danish-made Weibel radar,’ that’s fine. If Sweden says they want the Saab system, that’s no problem either.”
Officials are also considering a dedicated fund to streamline financing and cut red tape. Aloian stressed that “the coalition should be practical rather than political.”
