Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Estonian Firm Unveils 65 cm AI-Guided Interceptor to Counter Russian Drones

The company pitches a low-cost SHORAD answer to drone incursions with performance and pricing not yet independently verified.

Overview

  • Frankenburg Technology introduced the Mark 1, a compact guided missile designed to target low, slow UAVs such as Shahed-131/136 drones.
  • The interceptor uses solid-rocket propulsion and autonomous guidance, with the company emphasizing a short engagement chain that does not rely on a persistent launcher data link.
  • Company-reported testing totals 53 live-fire shots with an accuracy around 56 percent to date, with a stated goal of reaching 90 percent.
  • Frankenburg says factories in two NATO countries are in place to scale to hundreds of units per day and targets a unit price at roughly one-tenth of current interceptor systems.
  • Demand is driven by recent drone incursions into NATO airspace, including a November 6 incident near Brussels Airport, which has exposed the high cost of using fighter jets or expensive missiles for interception.