Babcock, a UK-based defense company, and Estonian startup Frankenburg Technologies have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a low-cost, containerized maritime air-defense system designed to counter one-way attack drones. The partnership will pair Babcock’s maritime and naval integration expertise with Frankenburg’s mass-produced, inexpensive guided missiles, aiming to deliver a scalable and affordable defense solution for military forces and critical infrastructure across Europe. Engineering will be led from the UK to support a new sovereign capability, with the companies also targeting global export markets, reports Rudy Ruitenberg of DefenseNews. The initiative reflects growing demand for cost-effective counter-drone systems as cheap, expendable drones reshape modern warfare. Ruitenberg writes:

British defense firm Babcock plans to develop a containerized launch system for low-cost missiles manufactured by Estonian startup Frankenburg Technologies, with the goal of providing cheap maritime defenses against one-way attack drones.

Babcock and Frankenburg signed a memorandum of understanding to explore development of a “new and affordable” maritime counter-drone air-defense system, with engineering led from the United Kingdom in order to provide a “new sovereign capability,” the companies said in a joint statement on Wednesday. […]

Tallinn, Estonia-based Frankenburg says it aims to develop missile systems that are ten times cheaper and a hundred times faster to produce than current industry capabilities. […]

Salm has said Frankenburg’s Mark 1 missile is the world’s smallest guided missile. The company was picked by Estonia in October as one of four companies to set up production facilities in the country’s new Defence Industry Park, with plans for production capacity of 100 short-range air-defense missiles a day in a first phase.

The Mark 1 is around 60 centimeters long and was designed for mass production, powered by a solid-fuel rocket motor and built from commercially available components, with Frankenburg saying the missile was went from concept to live firing in 13 months. […]

Frankenburg signed an MoU with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa in November to integrate the Estonian company’s missiles on PGZ platforms, with plans to establish local missile manufacturing capacity of up to 10,000 units a year.

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