Ukraine Ambitiously Expands «Flamingo» Cruise Missile Production to Strengthen Defense
Recently, Ukrainian defense industries have made significant advancements in developing their own missile capabilities.
According to the renowned publication The Economist, Ukraine is actively working on a large-scale expansion of the production of long-range cruise missiles FP-5 «Flamingo», which have already been successfully employed in combat to strike Russian positions.
Currently, between two to three missiles are manufactured daily, with plans to increase this number to seven by the end of the month.
Each «Flamingo» missile costs approximately half a million dollars, making it considerably cheaper than the American «Tomahawk», which is about four times more expensive, though it has a shorter range and less payload.
Notably, Ukrainian missiles boast high accuracy, with a range of up to 3,000 kilometers, providing Ukraine with significant strategic leverage in defense and counteroffensives.
Irina Terekh, CEO and technical director of Fire Point Defense, stated that the «Flamingo» is a cruise missile with a warhead of up to 1,150 kg and the ability to rapidly alter its trajectory, complicating interception efforts.
The missile production relies on recycled Soviet turbofan engines, and the manufacturing of the carbon fiber fuselage takes only six hours.
Recent successful Ukrainian strikes against Russian border posts and ships in occupied Crimea, notably on August 30, confirm the high effectiveness of these weapons.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky assured that by December, the country will produce even more missiles, with mass production scheduled for winter, significantly enhancing Ukraine’s military capabilities.