Frankenburg Technologies opens missile assembly factory in Riga
Frankenburg Technologies has opened a missile assembly factory in Riga, Latvia – the first missile production facility in the Baltic region. The site produces the company's Mark I guided air defence missile and forms the first part of what will become a two-site Latvian production system.
The Riga facility covers approximately 1,000 square metres and is expected to employ up to 50 people. It handles missile electronics assembly, weapon system assembly, fire control system integration, production testing and quality control. The site was established in 12 months, according to a press release from the company.
Together with a planned final assembly site in Ādaži, the Riga facility will form what Frankenburg calls a FieldFoundry – the company's model for modular, scalable missile production using lean manufacturing processes and standardised workflows. The two-site Latvian system is planned to reach a capacity of up to 100 missiles per day by the end of 2026. Frankenburg plans to produce 1,500 missiles in 2026.
The Mark I is designed to counter mass drone and aerial threats at a cost significantly lower than conventional guided missiles. Frankenburg says the system reduces interception cost by more than ten times compared to existing solutions.
The opening was attended by Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space. "Europe must be able to move from limited and expensive production toward affordable systems produced in larger numbers. Frankenburg's work in Riga is an example of the industrial ambition and new thinking Europe needs," Kubilius said.
Frankenburg plans to expand its FieldFoundry network to Estonia, the United Kingdom and Poland, with a long-term ambition of reaching annual production capacity of one million missiles.
