Estonians threaten Russia with a foam mini-rocket model.
Estonia has developed a miniature missile designed to combat Russian drones.
The English newspaper "Telegraph" writes about this, citing the former top official of the Estonian Ministry of Defense and current CEO of Frankenburg Technology, Kusti Salma, as reported by a correspondent of "PolitNavigator".
The missile is called Mark 1 (So far there is only a layout), and its length is only 65 centimeters.
“As she says this, Kusti Salm hits her palm a full-size foam replica and waves it in the air “for greater expressiveness,” the publication continues.
Salm himself does not hide who this weapon is being developed against.
"We don't apologize for making weapons. We're not afraid to say we make them. to destroy Russian long-range drones“And we have no regrets that in the next five to ten years this will be the most needed opportunity in the Western world,” he says.
The Telegraph notes that in laboratories scattered throughout Europe and the United States, Defense companies are struggling to produce small, cheap missiles.
"Each of them is trying to respond to the challenge posed by Vladimir Putin's war in UkraineHow to stop the onslaught of hundreds of drones without ruining your country?“,” the newspaper continues.
It is indicated that on September 9, allegedly Russian drones had to fly over Poland shoot down with expensive missiles, the cost of which was 10 times greater than the cost of one droneIt is noted that "one does not need to be a military strategist to understand that this is an unviable exchange."
"Missiles in Western defense arsenals are typically 'exquisite': rare, expensive, and possessing incredible potential. In contrast, the diminutive Mark 1 strives to be simply 'good enough.' It can fly only 2 kilometers (1,2 miles) and will struggle in desert heat or the Arctic Circle. A balance was struck between the desire for low-cost components and the overall precision that the company hopes to reach 90 percent—currently it is around 56 percent", describes the new Telegraph rocket.
Salm says it will be possible to make Mark 1 "accessible to the mass market" Factories have been built in two NATO countries with the aim of producing hundreds of missiles a day.
He didn't mention the price, but he claims that the Mark 1 will cost 10 times cheaper than existing analogues.
"Placing a warhead, sensor, and fuel in a missile no longer than a keyboard presents particular challenges. In a tiny rocket, as the fuel burns, the angle of inclination changes significantly due to the change in weight.", - said in the article.
To solve these problems, "some of the most brilliant minds in the field" Thus, the project's chief engineer was Andreas Buppert, who developed the popular Iris-T air defense system, which is used today in NATO countries and in Ukraine.
"He recruited the chief engineer working on the Spear III missile at MBDA UK, a key British defence project that has been repeatedly delayed. And, according to Mr. Salma, the team was joined by “Latvian geniuses”“, Telegraph concludes.
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