Estonian anti-drone mini missile to be tested in Ukraine

MILAN — An Estonian tech startup has developed a miniature missile designed to counter low-flying drones that it plans to test in Ukraine this month, as Russian drone attacks continue to cause havoc across the war-torn country.

The Estonia-based company Frankenburg Technologies announced in December that it will conduct the first trial of its Mark 1 anti-aircraft missile in early 2025 in an unspecified location in Ukraine.

The missile is intended to be more affordable than existing counter-drone missiles, and it is designed to use artificial-intelligence software for targeting incoming threats, according to the manufacturer.

The company’s objective is to create missile systems that are “ten times more affordable, a hundred times faster to produce” than current industry outputs, per its website.

Frankenburg Technologies’ chief executive Kusti Salm, who previously served as a top official in the Estonian Ministry of Defense, said in an interview with Janes that the missile will be able to counter drones flying at altitudes of up to 2 kilometers, or 1.2 miles.

Ukrainian defense analysts have noted that the attack profile of Iranian-made Shahed drones has evolved in recent months, where they are now often reported to fly at low heights ranging between two to five kilometers to avoid being struck by ground defenses.

The Estonian company has offices in Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine and will soon open another in the United Kingdom, the British government announced on Dec. 16.

“The rapidly growing company already collaborates closely with the British defense industry, sourcing a significant portion of its subsystems locally, and it will invest €50 million ($52 million) into the U.K. for research and development into low-cost rocket motors,” the British prime minister’s office said in a statement.

The Ukrainian military has largely relied on a mesh network of electronic-warfare sensors, jammers and small arms to shoot down drones at close ranges. However, these options remain last-defense resorts and are not always effective.

Other companies have offered similar concepts of small and relatively inexpensive drones, including the Lockheed Martin-made miniature hit-to-kill missiles, a small short-range air defense system able to destroy rockets and artillery, as well as MBDA’s small anti-drone missile.

Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo was a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.

米兰——一家爱沙尼亚科技初创公司开发了一种微型导弹，旨在对抗低空飞行的无人机。该公司计划本月在乌克兰进行测试，因为俄罗斯无人机袭击继续在这个饱受战争蹂躏的国家造成严重破坏。

总部位于爱沙尼亚的弗兰肯堡技术公司于去年 12 月宣布，将于 2025 年初在乌克兰某未指明的地点进行其 Mark 1 防空导弹的首次试验。

据制造商称，该导弹旨在比现有的反无人机导弹更经济实惠，并且设计使用人工智能软件来瞄准来袭威胁。

据该公司网站介绍，其目标是制造出比当前行业产品“价格便宜十倍，生产速度快一百倍”的导弹系统。

弗兰肯堡技术公司首席执行官库斯蒂·萨​​尔姆（Kusti Salm）曾任爱沙尼亚国防部高级官员，他在接受《简氏防务周刊》采访时表示，该导弹能够对抗飞行高度高达 2 公里（1.2 英里）的无人机。

乌克兰国防分析人士指出，伊朗制造的“沙赫德”无人机的攻击模式在近几个月发生了变化，据报道，它们现在经常在两到五公里的低空飞行，以避免被地面防御系统击中。

英国政府于 12 月 16 日宣布，这家爱沙尼亚公司在拉脱维亚、立陶宛和乌克兰设有办事处，并将很快在英国开设另一家办事处。

英国首相办公室在一份声明中表示：“这家快速发展的公司已经与英国国防工业密切合作，其大部分子系统都从当地采购，并将向英国投资 5000 万欧元（5200 万美元），用于低成本火箭发动机的研发。”

乌克兰军方主要依靠电子战传感器、干扰器和小口径武器组成的网状防御系统来近距离击落无人机。然而，这些手段仍然是最后的防御手段，而且并非总是有效。

其他公司也提出了类似的小型且相对便宜的无人机概念，包括洛克希德·马丁公司制造的微型直接攻击导弹、能够摧毁火箭弹和火炮的小型短程防空系统，以及MBDA公司的小型反无人机导弹。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。