EU Examines Funding for Ukraine-Led FREYJA Missile Defense System

The European Commission is examining possible funding for FREYJA, a pan-European anti-ballistic missile project led by Ukraine. Europe is experiencing a massive shortage of anti-ballistic missiles, as US-made interceptors are currently low in stock due to the war in the Middle East.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said on Friday that Brussels could provide “some kind of financial assistance” for FREYJA and other joint EU-Ukrainian defence projects. According to Kubilius, funding could come from the €90 billion ($104 billion) Ukraine support loan or other instruments, including the €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP). Initiated by Ukraine, the FREYJA project was elevated to a European level on the margins of July’s Coalition of the Willing meeting in Paris, with 10 countries now involved. Executives from Fire Point, Kongsberg, Weibel, Saab, Diehl Defence, Hensoldt, Thales, Safran, Sener and Leonardo met Wednesday in Oslo to coordinate the next steps. The project aims to combine established European missile-defence components with a cost-effective interceptor being developed in Ukraine. Freyja aims to deliver concrete results by 2027, although Kubilius gave no broader deployment timeline. Industry actors have also been cautious, with some being less optimistic, expecting a deployable system in not less than two years. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Sets Sept. 20 Deadline for Simplified AWOL Return The General Staff reported returnees from unauthorized absence outnumbered new cases in August as a simplified return window ends Sept. 20. See the original by Kjeld Neubert here. Euractiv is a European news website focused on EU policies. It was founded in 1999 by the French media publisher Christophe Leclercq. The website's headquarters and central editorial staff are located in Brussels, with offices in Paris and Berlin.