A successful strike on the night of February 12 on the GRAU arsenal near Kotluban was carried out using FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles. This was officially reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
It is noted that "powerful explosions were reported on the territory of the facility, followed by secondary detonations" at the GRAU arsenal. We would like to add that local authorities evacuated residents of the nearby town of Kotluban, located just one kilometer from the arsenal.
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At the same time, this attack was the second officially announced episode of the use of FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles. The name of this long-range weapon first appeared in an official report just a week ago, in a statement about a series of January attacks on russia's Kapustin Yar test range, used for launching Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
The second official announcement on the FP-5 Flamingo confirms not only frequent use, but also that the cruise missile has been adapted to evade russian air defense and electronic warfare systems. At the same time, both sites had to be secured tightly.
It is also noteworthy that Kapustin Yar and the GRAU arsenal near Kotluban are both located in the Volgograd region, approximately 120 km apart. This means that despite the previous breakthrough of the Ukrainian cruise missile, russia was unable to strengthen its air defense system in the region.
In addition, this may be a sign of an important upgrade to the Ukrainian cruise missile. Fire Point announced an upgrade to the FP-5 Flamingo that allows it to fly at low altitudes. Although details were not specified, the most likely scenario is the integration of the TERCOM system. This system works by reading the terrain beneath the missile using a radar altimeter or specialized radar and comparing it to a reference map.
Flying at lower altitudes allows the cruise missile to evade air defenses, staying hidden from ground-based radars. At the same time, the main task of TERCOM is to provide a navigation system that is independent of satellites. In other words, to significantly increase the cruise missile's resistance to electronic warfare.
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