Kamyshin: Ukraine is now able to manufacture FrankenSAM air defenses independently

Ukraine has received technical documentation for the production of the FrankenSAM air defense system and is now capable of manufacturing the systems independently.

The announcement was made during the “Ukrainian Weapons 2024” briefing, which was attended by a Militarnyi correspondent.

“The technical documentation for some of these projects has been transferred to the Ukrainian side. We are now fully capable of implementing these projects on our own,” said Oleksandr Kamyshin, Senior Advisor to the President of Ukraine on Strategic Industries.

FrankenSAM

The FrankenSAM program—named as a portmanteau of “Frankenstein” and SAM (surface-to-air missile)—was jointly developed by Ukraine and the United States to address a shortage of Soviet-era missiles during the winter of 2022–2023 and to help protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Three versions of the FrankenSAM were developed under the program: “small,” “medium,” and “large.” Each version integrates legacy Soviet systems in Ukraine with widely available Western missiles.

In October 2023, reports indicated that the U.S. had helped Ukraine deploy two types of these systems capable of launching Western missiles.

One system, referred to as the “small” FrankenSAM, uses AIM-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. Another, based on the Buk-M1 platform, was adapted to launch RIM-7 anti-aircraft missiles. Both systems were expected to enter service in autumn 2023.

That same month, The New York Times reported that U.S. engineers had managed to integrate Patriot missiles with a Soviet-era system, creating a “large” FrankenSAM. The system, which used a Ukrainian-made launcher and radar, successfully destroyed a drone during testing at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. It was slated for delivery to Ukraine in winter 2023–2024, along with missile stocks from the United States and allied countries.

In November 2023, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat confirmed that several Buk-M1 systems had been modified to fire American-made missiles.

In December 2023, it was reported that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with the materials necessary to begin localized FrankenSAM production.

In January 2024, Ukrainian forces reportedly used the FrankenSAM system in combat for the first time, successfully downing an Iranian-designed Shahed drone at a distance of nine kilometers.

Ukrainian Buk-M1 system with RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles. Photo: Ukrainian Air Force Command

To date, only the use of the “medium” FrankenSAM system—the Buk-M1 adapted for RIM-7 missiles—has been publicly confirmed.

More details on the program are available in Militarnyi’s feature: “‘FrankenSAM’ program: the second life of outdated missiles”