Shoot down a long-range Russian drone. This is the goal of Frankenburg Technologies, an Estonian manufacturer of missile systems. The defense company unveiled the “Mark 1,” a stick-sized missile designed to counter massive Russian drone attacks.
The new missile comes as a low-cost alternative aimed at strengthening NATO air defenses in the face of Russia’s increasing use of drones against Ukraine and its neighbors, The Telegraph reports.
The compact interceptor measures 65 cm long and is designed for short-range defense, with a range of about 2 km and a price of about $50,000 (about 43,000 euros) per unit.
“We have no hesitation in saying that we created them to neutralize Russian long-range drones. And we are not at all embarrassed to say that this will be the most needed capability in the world in the next five to ten years,” said Kusti Salm, CEO of the Tallinn-based company and a former Estonian defense official.
Cheaper and more efficient
On September 9, NATO was forced to deploy F-16s to shoot down around twenty Russian drones that crossed the Polish border. To this end, several air-to-air missiles costing more than 550,000 euros have been fired to intercept Shahed drones, and half of them were ineffective. This is why the Mark 1, which costs less than a tenth of the price of those missiles, presents itself as a more viable alternative.
Additionally, the missile is guided by artificial intelligence and is designed to operate autonomously once launched, not relying on pilot skills like conventional missiles. Currently, the Mark 1 achieves about 56% accuracy, but Frankenburg Technologies is targeting 90% accuracy as production advances.
The Mark 1 was designed without a permanent data link to the control unit, reducing its vulnerability to network interference and interference. Despite its small size, the missile integrates a 500-gram warhead, fuel and sensors, making its accuracy a major technical challenge.
According to the Telegraph, the Estonian company has set up production sites in two NATO member countries, with the aim of producing hundreds of missiles per day.
