The Latvian Ministry of Defence has recently officially signed a contract with Frankenburg Technologies for the development, production and delivery of Mark 1 C-UAV missiles for the national armed forces. That choice is much more than a regular arms purchase. It reflects a fundamental shift in how modern armies deal with one of the biggest military challenges of our time: the explosive growth of unmanned aircraft on the battlefield.
The economic reality behind that threat is harsh. A conventional Stinger missile now costs almost half a million dollars, while many attack drones cost only a fraction of that. Frankenburg Technologies wants to break that model by offering its own interceptor missile for about a tenth of the price. This missile, modestly named the Mark I, is also set to become the smallest guided missile in the world. The goal is clear: making air defence affordable again in an era in which cheap drones are used in large numbers.
That message was heard loud and clear during Estonia’s first Defence Week, where the ongoing drone threat dominated almost all discussions. At a press conference in Tallinn on 22 September, Frankenburg CEO Kusti Salm did not spare the West. According to him, the production of air defence systems has so far done “virtually nothing” to solve the drone problem structurally.
Salm said short-range air defence (SHORAD) will be the world’s biggest military need over the next five to ten years, but only if it is also economically sustainable. “It is about redefining the economics of air defence,” said Salm. In his view, that is even why Russia is betting so heavily on mass production of drones: they force their opponents into a financially unsustainable defence model.
The Mark I: small, fast and scalable
The Mark I is a relatively small, lightweight guided missile specifically designed to intercept unmanned systems. It is explicitly not a classic large-scale air defence system, but a short-range interceptor intended to bring cheap UAVs out of the sky before they reach their target.
Although Frankenburg does not share all technical details publicly, available data indicate that the Mark I has a range of about 2 kilometres and can intercept targets up to an altitude of also about 2 kilometres. That covers a large share of drones operating at low to medium altitude. With a length of about half a metre, the missile is compact enough to be launched from mobile platforms or simple launchers.
Affordability and fast production are central to the design. That is crucial, because against swarms of cheap drones it is economically irresponsible to use expensive air defence missiles that cost many times more than the target itself. With the Mark I, Frankenburg is trying to close exactly that gap.
Smart technology for modern threats
What sets the Mark I apart from older systems is the integration of modern technology. The system uses advanced sensors and algorithms for fast detection and identification of UAVs, even in complex situations with several targets at once. Several sources speak of the use of artificial intelligence in the targeting system, allowing the missile to respond faster to dynamic threats.
In practice, this means the Mark I can select and intercept targets largely autonomously, without constant manual control. In scenarios in which large numbers of drones are used at once, that degree of automation is essential.
According to Salm, missiles will ultimately remain dominant in the counter-drone market, despite the fact that in Ukraine cheaper interceptor drones are currently often used against one-way attack drones such as the Shahed. “Missiles offer range, precision and speed,” he stressed — properties that are decisive especially in large-scale attacks.
Why Latvia makes this choice
For Latvia, the Mark I closely matches the current threat and the available resources. The country wants to strengthen its air defence quickly without depending on expensive, scarce systems. The focus is on flexible, scalable solutions that can be used both mobile and static.
The latter is especially relevant for protecting critical national infrastructure. Along NATO’s eastern flank there are more than 2,000 such infrastructure sites. According to Frankenburg’s calculations, about 550 missiles per site would be needed to repel just one large-scale drone attack. Those figures underline how important low costs and mass production are.
In addition, the contract gives Latvia the opportunity to take part in development and production, together with local engineers and knowledge institutions. That not only increases the country’s technological independence, but also strengthens defence expertise in the Baltic region.
Image Frankenburg Technologies: the Mark 1 is a small missile with high performance and low cost.
Testing, Ukraine and the future
Frankenburg has announced that tests of the Mark I under realistic conditions are planned in Ukraine. It is precisely there that the drone threat is intense and continuous, so the system can be improved and refined quickly on the basis of practical experience.
According to Salm, 53 live-fire tests have now been carried out, although about half of them did not yet meet the accuracy requirements set. Those figures show that the system is still in development, but also that the programme learns iteratively and quickly — an approach that suits the reality of modern conflicts.
A new logic for air defence
Latvia’s choice of the Mark I illustrates how quickly defence strategies are changing. Where air defence was once aimed mainly at manned aircraft and large missiles, it is now increasingly about neutralising large numbers of cheap drones. That calls for new solutions that are not only technically effective, but also economically sustainable.
For Frankenburg Technologies, this contract is more than a first big order. It is an opportunity to position itself as a key player in a new generation of European air defence — one designed for the reality of drone warfare, in which numbers, speed and cost are as important as pure firepower.
