The Economist has revealed the price range for the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile from Ukrainian company Fire Point. The price was called «competitive» among similar missiles, but «a big expense for Ukraine».
The Economist has revealed the price range for the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile from Ukrainian company Fire Point. The price was called «competitive» among similar missiles, but «a big expense for Ukraine».
A Fire Point representative said that the company’s engineers were inspired by such weapons as the first German V-1 cruise missile and the Soviet Strizh unmanned aircraft. Like the Flamingo, they have an engine mounted above the main body.
The Economist believes that the FP-5 production process is at least partially carried out abroad, but Fire Point says that «over 90%» of the final assembly takes place at secret facilities scattered throughout Ukraine.
The body of the Flamingo missile, which has a range of up to 3,000 km and a warhead of up to 1,150 kilograms, is made of fiberglass, which makes it less noticeable than a metal one.
«The missile’s price of „less than 1 million euros“ per unit, competitive in the world of cruise missiles, is still a large expense for Ukraine, given the volumes that will be required and doubts about the real effectiveness of the „Flamingo“. The missile is bulky and rises sharply during launch, which makes it more visible to enemy radars, so it is assumed that a significant part of them will be detected and intercepted,» the material says.
«Military» notes that American Tomahawk missiles (with half the range and warhead of the Flamingo) cost from 1.5 to 4 million euros, depending on the modification and terms of sale.
Fire Point currently produces about one Flamingo missile per day, and the company hopes to increase its capacity to seven missiles per day by October. Mass production is expected to begin in late 2025 or early 2026.
Recall that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine is investigating the activities of the Fire Point company, which produces the FP-1 UAV and the FP-5 («Flamingo») cruise missile. The manufacturers are suspected of overstating the cost of UAV components and the number of drones for the Defense Forces.
