FP-5 Flamingo

The FP-5 "Flamingo" (Ukrainian: Фламі́нго, romanized: Flaminho [flɐˈmʲinɦɔ] ^ⓘ) is a Ukrainian ground-launched cruise missile developed by defence firm Fire Point and announced on 18 August 2025. The missile is fitted with a 1,150-kilogram (2,540 lb) warhead and has a range of 3,000 kilometres (1,900 miles). The missile, similar in appearance to the Milanion Group FP-5 cruise missile, is in serial production, targeting 210 units a month.^[3][5][4][6]

Fire Point, a Ukrainian defence startup founded by a group of friends from non-military backgrounds—including construction, game design, and architecture—began development of the FP-5 "Flamingo" following the 2022 Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.^[4] The missile was first publicly revealed on 17 August 2025 by Associated Press photojournalist Efrem Lukatsky during a test launch at a hidden facility in southern Ukraine.^[7] In his address on 20 August 2025, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that serial production had begun and described it as "the most successful missile we have".^[6][4][8] The Associated Press reported that the nickname "Flamingo" originated when early production units of the missile had a pink colour due to an error at the factory,^[4] but this was denied by Fire Point's CTO.^[9] The Economist on the other hand reported that the name was chosen to highlight the role of women in senior positions at company, with test prototypes being painted pink to support the name.^[10]

Reporters and OSINT analysts have noted the striking similarity between the FP-5 Flamingo and the FP-5 missile advertised by defence industry startup Milanion Group at IDEX 2025 (a defence industry conference and expo), with the advertised capabilities, design and even the model number being identical.^{[11][12][13][14]} Milanion Group is a company registered in the United Kingdom,^[15] though media reports state it is based in the UAE and did business in Ukraine prior to the Russian invasion.^[16][17][18] An analyst has described Fire Point as operating under Milanion's umbrella, using their^{[clarification needed]} technology and connections to produce the FP-5 locally.^[12] The Economist assessed that the production process is partially conducted abroad, with Fire Point stating that over 90% of final assembly is done in Ukraine.^[10]

According to Ukrinform, the weapon threatens 90 percent of Russia’s arms manufacturing capacities.^[19] Possible target categories:

• Oil refineries and energy infrastructure – Fire Point officials noted their drones and missiles are "partly responsible for airport closures and high gasoline prices in Russia".
• Military production facilities and weapons depots – described as targets for the missile's 1,150 kg warhead.
• Command centers and strategic infrastructure – identified as priority targets given the missile's capabilities.

The missile has a fixed straight wing and a turbofan jet engine mounted above the fuselage. This gives it a superficial resemblance to the V-1 flying bomb and the Ukrainian-built Soviet Tu-141 and Tu-143 reconnaissance drones, although the V1 used a pulsejet and the Tu-141 and Tu-143 were designed with engines mounted inside the main fuselage. The rear of the fuselage has four flight control surfaces in an X-configuration.^[20] The fuselage is primarily built from radar transparent composite materials (fiberglass), whilst the engine nacelle is built from metal in order to withstand high temperatures. The jet engine appears to be the Ivchenko AI-25 produced by Ukrainian manufacturer Motor Sich and historically used for the Aero L-39 Albatros. The engine is significantly larger than those found in comparable cruise missiles.

Flamingo's warhead is claimed to be 2.5 times the weight of the warhead of the American Tomahawk Block V cruise missile, with a stated weight of 1,150 kg (2,540 lb).^[5][8][21] According to a Dutch military expert interviewed by UkrInform, Flamingo is a classic aerial bomb converted into a cruise missile by adding a jet engine, fuselage, and wings.^[22] The warhead, shown in pictures with the nose cone removed, may be a repurposed FAB-1500 bomb,^[7][22][23] but based on the warhead's size the 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) FAB-1500 seems unlikely, with a more likely bomb being either a 2,039-pound (925 kg) Mark 84 high-explosive bomb or a same-weight BLU-109/B bunker buster.^[14][24] If the missile uses a conventional gravity bomb, the weight of the warhead would be 925 kg (2,039 lb) but the explosive filler would only be 430 kg (950 lb), more in line with comparable cruise missile systems.^[25][26] The Flamingo's claimed range is approximately double the unclassified range of the Tomahawk Block V,^[21] allowing it to hit targets anywhere in the European part of Russia and as far as Novosibirsk. The Flamingo missile has not yet been shown to strike targets at this range.

Unlike its Western counterparts, the Flamingo lacks complex visual guidance systems (TERCOM, DSMAC) but still promises a similar speed (900 km/h). The primary means of navigation is by satellite navigation using a jamming-resistant, controlled reception pattern antenna layout. Claimed accuracy is a CEP of 14 m (46 ft) at any range and in ideal conditions. The simplified design is intended to speed production. The main drawbacks compared to the Tomahawk are a longer pre-launch preparation time of 20 to 40 minutes and a take-off weight that is almost 5x greater.^{[4][27][28][29]} Ukrainian experts state that Russian air defense will intercept some FP-5 missiles and emphasize the value of combined strikes by multiple weapons types.^[19]

Serial production of Flamingo was claimed to have begun in mid-2025, initially at a rate of approximately 30 missiles per month, with plans to increase output to 210 per month by October 2025.^[6] According to Politico's interview with Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh, the missile has successfully completed battlefield trials and entered serial production with a target capacity of 200 units monthly. The weapon system represents Ukraine's most advanced long-range strike capability.

In September 2025 the Danish government announced that a subsidiary of Fire Point will start production of solid rocket fuel for the Flamingo in Denmark from 1 December 2025.^[30][31]

On 30 August 2025, Ukrainian sources claimed that Flamingo missiles were used to target a Federal Security Service outpost in Crimea, in what was described as their first combat use. According to these reports, at least three missiles struck the facility, causing structural damage and reportedly damaging six hovercraft while killing one Russian serviceman.^[32][33] Follow-up analysis of satellite imagery showed that one missile directly hit a barracks building, another landed wide of the hovercraft storage area, and a third exploded near some objects east of the facility.^[34][35]

Related development

• FP-1 (UAV) – Ukrainian long-range one-way attack dronePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
• UJ-25 Skyline – Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle
• Peklo – Ukrainian loitering munition
• UJ-26 Bober (drone) – Ukrainian long-range UAV
• AN-196 Liutyi – Ukrainian long-range UAV
• Palianytsia (missile) – Ukrainian cruise missile
• R-360 Neptune – Ukrainian anti-ship and land-attack cruise missile
• Trembita (cruise missile) – Ukrainian cruise missile

Comparable missiles

• MGM-13 Mace – US cruise missile
• AGM-86 ALCM – US cruise missile
• BGM-109G Gryphon – US cruise missile
• Novator 9M729 – Russian cruise missile