Continuing the targeted strengthening of national competencies and the capabilities of the National Armed Forces in countering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Ministry of Defense has signed three research and development contracts with Origin Robotics, SAF Tehnika, and Frankenburg Technologies reports Labs of Latvia.
The total investment in these projects could reach €10 million, comprised of funding from the Ministry of Defense and additional resources secured by the aforementioned companies. Given the contracts’ built-in potential for third-party integration, the total investment volume may increase over the course of the projects.
According to Minister of Defense Andris Sprūds, the primary goals of these agreements are to enhance the National Armed Forces’ short-range air defence capabilities, expand the EU and national anti-drone technology sector with solutions independent of third-country suppliers, and increase strategic investments in military research and development.
Funding and investment model
The projects will follow a co-financing model, with both the Ministry of Defense and private companies contributing. The typical investment ratio in such projects is approximately 65% from the defence sector and 35% from industry partners. However, this proportion may change as additional partners or new project requirements arise, potentially reducing the defense sector’s share.The focal points for the first three anti-drone research and development projects are: automated drone interceptors, electronic warfare-based solutions and guided missile systems.
According to Normunds Bergs, Chairman of the Board at SAF Tehnika, the company will officially begin developing electronic counter-drone systems.
“It is a great honour and source of pride that the Latvian Ministry of Defense recognises our expertise in developing and manufacturing these systems. The geopolitical situation makes it clear that our security and defense are in our own hands, and we must act swiftly.”
Agris Ķipurs, co-founder of Origin, highlights the fact that emerging airborne threats require new and improved interception systems:
“We are now facing threats that were unknown just a few years ago. This is a very real challenge, and we need better weapons and interception systems to counteract them. Our mission is to develop such solutions and provide them to our armed forces.”
In 2024, Origin Robotics received a €4.5 million grant from the European Defence Fund to develop target acquisition technologies for precision-guided munitions. In addition, the company secured €4 million in pre-seed funding to accelerate product development and expand its engineering and sales teams.
New anti-drone products in development
Frankenburg Technologies is developing guided missiles designed to neutralise various types of airborne drones.
“This is an entirely new and unprecedented product in the Baltic region. No one has previously built missiles here. The path is complex and long, but we are grateful to the Ministry of Defense for the opportunity to develop these capabilities. Once we succeed, Latvia will join the small group of nations capable of designing and manufacturing their own guided missiles,” said Andrejs Puķītis, CTO of Frankenburg Technologies
Another automated anti-drone project is in the final negotiation phase, focusing on adapting existing weapon systems for counter-drone operations in the National Armed Forces. It is expected that this project will be executed in partnership with WeMPS.
In the opinion of Kristians Rimkus, CEO of WeMPS, traditional air defence systems are often too costly for shooting down low-cost drones. His company is developing a kinetic counter-drone system that integrates computer vision with machine gun-based interception:
“We aim to create an efficient and affordable system that avoids wasting expensive air defence missiles on cheap drones.”
