British defense company Babcock and Estonian startup Frankenburg Technologies have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the creation of a new, low-cost air defense system in response to the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles. This was officially announced on Wednesday, January 7, on the British company's website.
Babcock plans to develop a containerized naval launch system for the Mark I missiles from an Estonian startup. As of today, it is known that all engineering work will take place in the UK. However, no other details have been disclosed yet. More details are expected once the parties sign a firm contract.
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Illustrative video of the Mark I missile tests by Frankenburg Technologies
Babcock CEO David Lockwood stressed that the defense industry must act quickly against drone threats and that, together with the Estonian startup, they will develop an “innovative maritime air defense system.”
Frankenberg Technologies CEO Kusti Salm emphasized that the company can ensure both the availability and scalability of the Mark I missile.
The Estonian company has previously highlighted that their Mark I is the world's smallest guided missile, measuring just 60–65 cm in length.
Estonia's Mark I was designed for combat testing and is set for delivery to Ukraine. As of today, there has been no official announcement of its transfer to the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
The Mark I missile was developed in a relatively short period of time—just over a year. It was a significant challenge for the company to create such a miniature device to counter drones.
The missile is drawing strong interest in Europe. Last year, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA (PGZ) and Estonian Frankenburg Technologies OÜ announced a cooperation agreement in air defense, planning to produce 10,000 such missiles annually.
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