Ukrainian arms manufacturer Fire Point is developing a new low-cost air defense system that could become an alternative to the scarce Patriot systems, and is also preparing to test long-range ballistic missiles.
About the company's ambitious plans and the attraction of multimillion-dollar foreign investments are reported by Reuters with reference to the co-founder of Fire Point, reported Dengi.ua .
It is expected, that thanks to the new anti-aircraft system, the cost of intercepting one ballistic target will drop to 1 million dollars. This will dramatically change the balance of power in the global market of air defense systems.
Cheap Patriot analog: how Ukrainian air defense systems will work
Against the background of global instability and the active use of missile defense systems in the world, there is an acute shortage of American Patriot systems. Their interceptor missiles cost several million dollars per unit, with two or three missiles often required for the guaranteed destruction of one ballistic target.
The main goal of Fire Point's developers is to create a system that will make ballistic interception economically viable.
The company's technology plans:
- Cost reduction: the price of successfully intercepting a missile should be less than $1 million.
- Implementation timeline: the first test shootdown of a ballistic target using the new system is scheduled for late 2027.
- International cooperation: Fire Point is negotiating with European companies to cooperate on radar and communication systems.
The basis for the new air defense system will be a modified FP-7 missile of the company's own production.
Ukrainian ballistic missiles: FP-7 and FP-9 characteristics
In addition to air defense systems, the company is at the final stage of developing its own ballistic weapons. According to Denys Shtilerman, the expansion of the arsenal will make it possible to deplete enemy air defense more effectively.
Now it is known about the preparation of two types of supersonic ballistic missiles:
- Model FP-7: a missile with a range of about 300 km, which is a functional analog of the American ATACMS system. Its first combat use is expected in the near future.
- Model FP-9: a more powerful version with a range of up to 850 km, capable of carrying a warhead weighing 800 kg. This missile will keep military facilities in Moscow under fire control and is now being prepared for range testing.
Fire Point is also continuing to scale its current production. Every day, the company produces three long-range Flamingo cruise missiles (production cost of about 600 thousand euros) and hundreds of attack drones (50 thousand euros per unit). The production volumes of missiles are planned to increase significantly in October, after the launch of mass production of its own engines and the opening of a rocket fuel production plant in Denmark.
Investments from the UAE and satellites: what is known about the Fire Point deal
The Ukrainian manufacturer is in the process of formalizing a strategic partnership with a large Middle Eastern conglomerate (according to media reports, it is the Edge Group, the UAE). The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine should make a decision on the approval of this transaction by October.
Details of the financial transaction and partnership prospects:
- The investor plans to invest $760 million in exchange for a 30% stake in Fire Point. That values the entire Ukrainian company at a solid $2.5 billion.
- The money will be the first step in a project to create a terminal in the UAE for launching European low-orbit satellites (Fire Point has already developed equipment for manufacturing solid rocket boosters).
- The company has the production capacity to export up to 2,500 long-range drones per month to the Persian Gulf countries, but it still needs to obtain the relevant permits from the Ukrainian government.
