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​Defense Express' Weekly Review: russian SKAT-350M UAV Upgrades, Ukraine's FP-5 Flamingo Missile, and the Admiral Amelko Frigate Launch

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The FP-5 Flamingo missile / Photo credit: AP
The FP-5 Flamingo missile / Photo credit: AP

Digest of Defense Express on the main events of the week

Ukrainian Intelligence Reveals New russian UAV Built with Chinese, American, Swiss, Japanese, and Taiwanese Components

The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine has published detailed information about a new type of unmanned aerial vehicle that russia is actively deploying across different sectors of the front. The data, released on the War&Sanctions portal, includes a 3D model of the drone, its design, and the foreign-made components used in its construction.

Ukrainian War&Sanctions portal exposed the construction and suppliers behind a multipurpose russian UAV Defense Express Defense Express' Weekly Review: russian SKAT-350M UAV Upgrades, Ukraine's FP-5 Flamingo Missile, and the Admiral Amelko Frigate Launch
Ukrainian War&Sanctions portal exposed the construction and suppliers behind a multipurpose russian UAV / Photo credit: The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine

russian SKAT-350M UAVs Now Equipped with Anti-FPV Sensors to Evade Ukrainian Interceptor Drones

Russia has begun publicly outfitting its Skat-350M reconnaissance drones with anti-FPV sensors, a defensive upgrade aimed at helping the UAVs evade interception by Ukrainian FPV interceptor drones, as confirmed by newly released footage.

Read more: ​Defense Express' Weekly Review: Ukrainian AI Turret, Japan's Frigate Deal, and Ukraine's Drone Matrix
russian SKAT-350M reconnaissance drone Defense Express Defense Express' Weekly Review: russian SKAT-350M UAV Upgrades, Ukraine's FP-5 Flamingo Missile, and the Admiral Amelko Frigate Launch
russian SKAT-350M reconnaissance drone / Photo credit: Rosteс

Two Possible Drawbacks of Ukraine's FP-5 Flamingo Cruise Missile

Despite its formidable 3,000 km range and one-ton warhead, Ukraine's FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile faces two key limitations: its bulky six-meter wingspan and simplified launch design, both of which extend pre-launch preparation and raise visibility to enemy defenses.

The possible appearance of the FP-5 Flamingo missile, based on a scale model Defense Express Defense Express' Weekly Review: russian SKAT-350M UAV Upgrades, Ukraine's FP-5 Flamingo Missile, and the Admiral Amelko Frigate Launch
The possible appearance of the FP-5 Flamingo missile, based on a scale model / Defense Express

New Zircon-Equipped Admiral Amelko Frigate Was Launched Despite russia's Snail-Paced Shipbuilding

Russia has launched the fifth Project 22350 frigate, Admiral Amelko, equipped to carry hypersonic Zircon missiles, but at russia's sluggish pace of shipbuilding, the ship's eight-year journey from keel-laying to launch underscores systemic delays in naval modernization.

First test launch of the Zircon hypersonic missile from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, October 2020 Defense Express Defense Express' Weekly Review: russian SKAT-350M UAV Upgrades, Ukraine's FP-5 Flamingo Missile, and the Admiral Amelko Frigate Launch
First test launch of the Zircon hypersonic missile from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate, October 2020 / open source

Ukraine's Flamingo Unit is the FP-5 Missile With 3,000 km Range and One-Ton Warhead

Ukraine's defence industry has unveiled the FP-5 Flamingo, a homegrown cruise missile with a 3,000-kilometer range and a one-tonne warhead, marking a major leap in Kyiv’s ability to strike strategic targets far beyond the front line.

The FP-5 Flamingo missile Defense Express Defense Express' Weekly Review: russian SKAT-350M UAV Upgrades, Ukraine's FP-5 Flamingo Missile, and the Admiral Amelko Frigate Launch
The FP-5 Flamingo missile / Photo credit: AP
Read more: ​Defense Express' Weekly Review: russia Pushes Su-57 after India Rejects F-35, Western Troops May Head to Ukraine