Ukrainian defense company Fire Point is presenting its strike drones and missile systems as open-architecture platforms designed to reduce dependence on hidden manufacturer controls. At Eurosatory 2026 in Paris, co-founder and chief designer Denys Shtilerman said the company builds its solutions on open software and open architecture so customers can see that there is no hidden switch inside the weapon.
The message goes beyond one company’s marketing. Fire Point argues that countries buying security must also buy operational independence. In modern defense systems, software access, integration rights and control over upgrades can be as important as range or payload.
Open systems as a security argument
Shtilerman said artificial intelligence is changing the value of software, making production capacity and high-tech manufacturing more important. According to him, open software also lowers testing costs because a solution validated in one country can be more quickly used in another.
He pointed to the risk of systems that may include external dependencies or hidden controls. His argument is that a state investing heavily in defense should not face a situation where critical elements can be disabled by someone else. In this context, open architecture becomes a political and technical guarantee, not just an engineering choice.
Fire Point is also connected to Ukraine’s wider missile and air-defense plans. The company’s FP-7 ballistic missile is undergoing certification, while FP-9 is expected to be launched by the end of the year. Ukraine has also promoted the pan-European anti-ballistic shield concept Freyja, where a Fire Point interceptor called FP-7.x is presented as the core missile.
According to public information, the Freyja concept may include German long-range detection radars, guidance radars from European manufacturers, a Norwegian-based command component and Network Access Nodes for integrating additional modules. Data exchange is planned through the Link 16 tactical channel standardized under STANAG 5516.
The strategic idea is clear: Ukraine wants defense systems that can be integrated with existing air-defense networks while remaining adaptable and sovereign for users. If Fire Point can combine production scale, certification and open integration, its platforms may become part of a broader European debate about affordable, independent and interoperable security.
