Agreement brings Frankenburg’s affordable missile system into NiDAR C4, expanding layered defence options for global customers.

MARSS and Frankenburg Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at DSEI UK 2025. The partnership will see MARSS integrate Frankenburg’s next-generation missile system into its NiDAR Command and Control (C4) platform – creating a layered defence solution that combines affordability, scalability, and cutting-edge AI to protect against emerging aerial threats.

A new chapter in cost-effective defence

Air defence today is not just a contest of capabilities, but one of economics. Adversaries are flooding the field with more affordable, expendable drones and mass-produced loitering munitions to overwhelm defences – while effectors in theatre often cost hundreds of thousands of pounds per shot. In this equation, the aggressor holds the advantage, leaving defenders to shoulder unsustainable costs.

Frankenburg Technologies, now partnered with MARSS, is seeking to reset that balance. Headquartered in Estonia, Frankenburg is developing a new generation of interceptor missiles designed from the ground up to defeat class 1–3 drones – fast, lightweight, solid rocket-fuelled, and engineered for mass production to reduce intercept costs by more than 10×. Compact and efficient, each missile is delivered in a simple “click-on, click-off” launcher canister, enabling rapid reloads without specialist handling. Frankenburg’s missiles offer a credible, scalable option for more affordable air defence.

By integrating this specific missile tech into its NiDAR C4 platform, MARSS is now able to offer its customers an additional countermeasure that fills a major industry gap. Aided by NiDAR’s autonomous threat countermeasure recommendations, operators can match the right response to the right threat – from RF jammers and Remote Weapon Systems, to autonomous interceptors and now, affordable missiles – all orchestrated seamlessly through NiDAR’s single pane of glass.

Strengthening NiDAR’s layered approach

NiDAR already delivers multi-domain protection across air, land, surface and sub-surface environments. Sensor and effector agnostic, it fuses information from a huge range of sources into one intuitive system. It is in operation at over 50 sites worldwide, including critical infrastructure, ports, and naval platforms.

The addition of Frankenburg’s affordable missile system will expand the choice of options available to MARSS’ customers – particularly those in the Middle East already utilising NiDAR to deliver layered defence architectures.

Josh Harman, Senior Vice President, Business Development at MARSS, said, “The signing of this MoU is a major step forward in redefining the economics of air defence for our customers. Frankenburg’s technology is one of the first affordable, mass-manufacturable effectors designed specifically for today’s air defense threats, including UAS. By integrating it into NiDAR, we are giving our customers the ability to protect lives and infrastructure at a sustainable cost, while still maintaining access to the full suite of effectors – including soft and hard kill options.”

“This partnership is about delivering choice, scalability and smarter defence.”

“Partnering with MARSS brings our interceptor missiles into a proven C4 environment, where detection, classification and engagement come together,” said Kusti Salm, CEO of Frankenburg Technologies. “Our missiles are designed from the ground up to defeat drones – fast to launch, easy to handle, and built for mass production so that defending against drones can finally be affordable at scale. Together with MARSS, we are expanding layered air defence to meet the growing drone threat for allied nations.”

Driving innovation into new markets

While Frankenburg has focused primarily on NATO and European markets, the MoU opens new opportunities in the Gulf and other regions where MARSS already has established customers and installations. The companies will work together to present an integrated, cost-effective solution to both military and civil customers seeking protection from ongoing drone and loitering munition threats.

About MARSS

MARSS is a global defence technology leader specializing in CUAS and AI-powered security and surveillance systems through NiDAR. With extensive experience spanning 20 years, including research collaboration with the EU, NATO, defence agencies, academia and industry, and installations covering the globe, MARSS is a pioneer in AI-enhanced C2 and C4i solutions.

Leveraging innovation and technology to provide the highest level of security against emerging threats, MARSS’ intuitive solutions employ integrated sensor surveillance, machine learning and open-source intelligence to protect nations, critical infrastructure, naval assets, special forces, heads of state, commercial shipping and millions of lives worldwide.

About Frankenburg Technologies

Frankenburg Technologies is a European defence technology company developing next-generation interceptor missiles for counter-UAS and short-range air defence. Designed to be fast, lightweight, and mass-manufacturable, Frankenburg missiles aim to lower intercept cost and integrate seamlessly into layered defence alongside existing C2/C4 systems. Frankenburg works with European and NATO allied partners to strengthen affordable air defence for the free world.