The company aims to reduce the cost of intercepting a ballistic missile to less than $1 million
The company Fire Point, the manufacturer of the Ukrainian cruise missile “Flamingo,” is in talks with European companies to launch a new air defense system that is expected to be a cheaper alternative to Patriot.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Reuters.
Also read: The war in Iran has nearly left the Gulf countries without missiles for Patriot, – Bloomberg
Co-founder and chief designer of Fire Point Denis Shtilierman stated that the company aims to reduce the cost of intercepting a ballistic missile to below $1 million.
Currently, Ukraine and many other Western allies largely rely on American Patriot systems for intercepting ballistic missiles. However, these systems are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, particularly due to their active deployment in the Persian Gulf to protect against Iranian attacks.
According to Shtilierman, to destroy one ballistic target, Patriot often requires two or three missiles, each costing several million dollars.
“If we manage to reduce this amount to less than $1 million, it will be a breakthrough in air defense solutions,” he emphasized. “We plan to intercept the first ballistic missile by the end of 2027.”
At the same time, he did not name the European companies with which Fire Point is negotiating. He mentioned that the company is “deeply interested” in cooperation in the fields of radar, missile guidance systems, and communications, areas where the company currently lacks its own expertise.
Shtilierman noted that European companies, particularly Weibel, Hensoldt, SAAB, and Thales, have good radar solutions.
Recall that in the early days of the conflict in the Middle East, Israel and its allies used about 800 Patriot missiles to intercept Iranian targets. In comparison, Ukraine has received approximately 600 such missiles throughout the full-scale war.
The Pentagon has already approached the White House with a request to approve a request to Congress for over $200 billion to fund the war against Iran. This indicates the scale of the U.S. needs and the rapid increase in campaign expenses.
It is estimated that in just the first 12 days of operations in Iran, the U.S. depleted stockpiles of precision weapons that had been accumulated over years. Their replenishment will require significant time and will be very costly.
