Marta Gichko11:21, 10.11.25

A miniature, baguette-sized missile can destroy Russian drones at a fraction of the cost of Patriot systems.

Estonian developers have unveiled the Frankenburg Mark 1, the first mass-produced mini-missile of a new generation that could change the approach to air defense . In a world where Russian drones attack daily, a cheap and smart interceptor from Tallinn could become the main barrier to Kremlin aggression, The Telegraph reports .

In a glass office overlooking the airport in Tallinn, former high-ranking Estonian Defense Ministry official Kusti Salm holds a baguette-sized foam model of a missile. It looks like a toy, but the project behind it could radically change Europe’s defense against Russian drone attacks.

Frankenburg Technologies has unveiled the Mark 1, a miniature surface-to-air missile designed specifically to intercept Shahed-type drones, which Russia regularly launches against Ukraine and NATO border states.

“We don’t apologize for producing weapons,” says Salm, “and we’re not afraid to say we’re making them to destroy Russian drones. This will be the most essential technology for the West in the next five to 10 years.”

A rocket the size of a baguette

The Mark 1 is only 65 centimeters long, flies at speeds over 1,200 km/h and can hit targets up to 2 km away.

Its price is about 50 thousand dollars, that is, 80 times cheaper than the Patriot missile, which costs 4 million dollars.

By comparison, one Shahed drone, which Russia uses to attack Ukrainian cities, costs around $20,000. Using expensive missiles to shoot them down is strategically unprofitable.

That’s why NATO is looking for mass-produced, low-cost solutions capable of quickly intercepting swarms of drones. The Mark 1 could form the basis of this new concept.

Smart, jam-resistant and autonomous

The miniature missile is equipped with artificial intelligence that independently recognizes and tracks its target. Once launched, the Mark 1 requires no ground contact, making it immune to electronic jamming—one of the most common tactics used by Russian forces.

“It can be launched and left uncontrolled – it will find the drone itself and destroy it,” explains Salm.

Putin’s response to war

The impetus for the creation of the Mark 1 was the war in Ukraine, where Russian drones are attacking critical infrastructure, and shooting them down with expensive missiles is simply unprofitable.

For example, in September, NATO scrambled F-16 fighter jets to shoot down 20 Russian drones, firing missiles worth more than $650,000, but missed half of their targets.

“This is not a sustainable approach. We are fighting a new type of war, and we need a new type of weapon,” Salm notes.

The Frankenburg team included leading engineers from various NATO countries:

• Andreas Buppert, the author of the IRIS-T system, which is currently used by the Ukrainian air defense;
• former MBDA UK engineer who worked on the Spear III missile;
• as well as a group of “Latvian geniuses” specializing in aerodynamics.

The team admits that the most challenging part is fitting the warhead, fuel, and sensors into a body slightly longer than a computer keyboard. But their goal is mass production. Two factories have already opened in NATO countries, capable of producing hundreds of Mark 1 missiles daily.

Not luxurious, but simple

The Mark 1 isn’t perfect: it has a limited range and can perform poorly in extreme conditions. But Salm is convinced that such systems are the future.

“We’re not building a fancy, designer missile,” he says. “We’re building a simple, affordable, effective weapon that’s enough to defend Europe.”

(C)UNIAN 2025