Chinese company plans to launch low-cost air defense system next year

According to a report by Reference News Network on April 9, a senior executive from Ukraine's "Firepoint" company told Reuters on April 6 that the company is in negotiations with European defense firms to launch a new type of air defense system next year, providing a low-cost alternative to the increasingly hard-to-obtain U.S. "Patriot" air defense system.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Iran war cause global turmoil, governments are seeking to defend their airspace. Denis Shchitilman, co-founder and chief designer of "Firepoint," stated that the company's goal is to reduce the cost of intercepting a ballistic missile to below $1 million.

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Ukraine has become a leader in low-cost defense technology, leveraging years of battlefield experience. With the outbreak of war in the Gulf region, Kyiv has utilized its expertise to sign security agreements with multiple governments in the area.

Today, many Ukrainian defense companies are seeking to export their excess capacity and profit from the surge in global military spending. Although the Ukrainian government has recently relaxed wartime export restrictions, each proposed transaction still requires strict scrutiny and government approval.

Ukraine and many Western allies heavily rely on the U.S.-made "Patriot" system to intercept ballistic missiles.

As a large number of "Patriot" systems are deployed in the Gulf region to counter Iranian attacks, the shortage of these interceptors is becoming increasingly severe.

Shchitilman stated that to intercept a ballistic missile, the "Patriot" system typically requires launching two to three air defense missiles, each costing millions of dollars.

“If we can reduce the cost of air defense missiles to below $1 million, it will bring a disruptive change to air defense response options,” he said in an interview. “We plan to achieve the first ballistic missile interception using a low-cost air defense system by the end of 2027.”

Shchitilman declined to disclose the names of the European companies involved in discussions to develop the new system but expressed that "Firepoint" is "very interested" in collaborating on radar, missile guidance systems, and communication systems, which are areas where the company lacks expertise. He noted that European companies, including Hensoldt, Saab, and Thales, have good radar solutions.

Founded after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, "Firepoint" is Ukraine's largest manufacturer of long-range drones, whose products are often used for strikes deep inside Russian territory. In recent months, its FP-5 long-range cruise missile (commonly referred to as "Flamingo") has also been used to attack Russian military facilities and arms factories, including a ballistic missile factory located nearly 1,400 kilometers from the border.

Shchitilman stated that "Firepoint" currently has two supersonic ballistic missile development projects in the final stages. Among them, the smaller FP-7 missile, with a range of about 300 kilometers, is set for its first military deployment in the "near future," which he described as similar to the U.S. Lockheed Martin Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). The larger FP-9 missile, capable of carrying an 800-kilogram warhead over 850 kilometers, is about to enter the testing phase, bringing Moscow within the range of Ukrainian ballistic weapons. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to requests for comment.

Fabian Hoffman, a missile expert and senior researcher at the Norwegian Defense Academy, stated that while "Firepoint's" goal of launching a low-cost air defense system by 2027 is "ambitious," there is a strong demand from governments around the world, in addition to Ukraine's urgent needs—even if the interception success rate of its missiles is lower than that of the "Patriot" system. (Translated by Zhu Li)