Ukraine reveals progress on new European air defense systems

"Ukraine is working with partners to strengthen air defenses as part of a coalition initiated by the president of Ukraine. One area of cooperation is the FREYJA project. A number of other initiatives are also being developed to help counter aerial threats and reduce dependence on a single source of weapons supplies," he said on the sidelines of the European Defense Innovation Forum (EDIF) in The Hague, Netherlands.

The second air defense project, a joint Ukrainian-Dutch initiative called Bliksem, will take longer to implement, Aloian said.

"We plan to begin simulation-based testing at the end of this year and obtain a system capable of intercepting ballistic threats in the first half of next year," he said.

The deputy NSDC secretary added that Ukraine would simultaneously pursue other areas of cooperation with its partners, including technologies that could strengthen its ability to counter various types of aerial threats.

On Oct. 21, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine was working on three projects to strengthen its air defenses. The first, intended to provide protection against Russian Shahed drones, was expected to be implemented within one and a half to two months.

"The first project, in my opinion, will deliver a strong result within a month and a half to two months, protecting us against Shaheds," the Ukrainian president said.

Zelenskyy also thanked the Norwegian government for its consistent support of the second project, the FREYJA ballistic missile defense system.

On Oct. 30, company CEO Iryna Terekh told Reuters in an interview that FREYJA, a pan-European missile defense project coordinated by Fire Point, was progressing successfully.

On Oct. 31, Defense Express reported that the first tests of the FREYJA ballistic missile defense system were scheduled for early 2027.

On Nov. 11, Zelenskyy said at a news conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen that Ukraine could test its first European-developed ballistic missile defense system this winter, which it is developing jointly with European partners.