With the FP-5 Flamingo, it seems like the Ukrainians might not need the Tomahawk after all.
The Ukrainian military has developed a homegrown missile that can strike targets deep behind the frontlines.
The FP-5 Flamingo offers the Ukrainian military the promise that it can strike deep behind the battlefield and hold Russia accountable for its missile and suicide drone strikes in Ukraine.
About the FP-5 Flamingo
Designed and manufactured by Fire Point, a private Ukrainian defense firm, the FP-5 Flamingo is a surface-to-surface land-attack cruise missile designed to take out Russian high-value targets. According to the Ukrainian government, the cruise missile has a range of 3,000 km (approximately 1,900 miles) and carries a 1,150 kg warhead (about 2,500 lbs). The munition uses jet technology to propel it.
The Ukrainians have likely used Western munitions for the warhead, including Mk 84 general-purpose bombs and BLU-109/B bunker-busting bombs. The latter munition has a respectable penetrating capability, whereas the former has standard explosive features.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the Ukrainian military has already used the FP-5 Flamingo against Russian targets, but without providing particular details. The Ukrainian leader has also suggested that the munition will achieve mass production by the end of 2025. If that assessment proves accurate and Ukraine manages to build a sufficient stock of the homegrown cruise missile, the tide of the war might change in Ukraine’s favor.
The Ukrainians have shown remarkable ingenuity, developing a wide range of weapon systems to strike back at the Russian forces. Their creativity is mainly the result of practical needs caused by the lack of sufficient weapons and munitions. Faced with the existential threat of a Russian occupation of their country, Ukrainians have pushed hard to invent and create weapon systems and munitions that hurt the Russian military both on the frontlines and inside Russia. They have even created suicide drones in garages that can take out Russian main battle tanks. The FP-5 Flamingo is the latest product of Ukrainian ingenuity.
Interestingly, former US Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo recently joined Fire Point’s board of advisors.
What Led to the FP-5 Flamingo?
The main motivator behind the FP-5 Flamingo was the unwillingness of Ukraine’s partners to provide it with sufficient long-range munitions.
Although the United Kingdom and France have respectively sent Ukraine Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG air-launched cruise missiles, NATO has not provided Kyiv with a large number of long-range munitions. The Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG have a range of approximately 550 km (around 350 miles).
The Ukrainians have used these munitions to great success against high-value Russian targets close to the frontlines, including the Crimean Peninsula and Kursk Oblast. However, these munitions cannot strike deep inside Russia. And that is exactly where Ukraine wants to strike. Kyiv is looking to threaten Russian air bases and weapons factories inside Russia since Russian bombers and missiles are causing significant damage to Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure. Although the Ukrainian forces have had notable successes with suicide drones, a cruise missile like the FP-5 Flamingo carries vastly more destructive capability.
The United States has thus far declined to provide Ukraine with Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, despite the Pentagon’s approval of such a transfer. But it seems like the Ukrainians might not need the Tomahawk after all.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock.
