Ukrainian photojournalist Efrem Lukatsky has published the first-ever close-up photo of a Ukrainian-made missile system he labeled the Flamingo. The announcement also revealed the very fact of existence of a weapon allegedly capable of reaching as far as 3,000 km into enemy territory.
A few facts were posted on Lukatsky's social media page alongside the photo itself.
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Although not much besides the name and range was disclosed, experts need no more to identify the weapon further. After all, there aren't particularly many systems in the world with such capabilities. The claimed range of 3,000 kilometers (or 1,860 mi), for example, is almost twice the range of the latest Tomahawk Block V cruise missile with its 1,600 km.
Most likely, the photo shows the FP-5 cruise missile, publicly demonstrated as a scale model at the IDEX-2025 expo in the UAE earlier this February. Furthermore, the company presenting the product, Milanion Group, announced its key specifications and capabilities.
Key specs of the FP-5, aka Flamingo:
- Range: 3000 km
- Flight time: over 4 hours
- Maximum speed: 950 km/h
- Cruising speed: 850–900 km/h
- Wingspan: 6 meters
- Maximum take-off weight: 6 tons
- Warhead weight: 1 ton
Comparing these characteristics and the visual appearance of both the FP-5 model and the Flamingo, combined with their description as massive cruise missiles with a straight fixed wing and engine on top of the body, leaves no room for doubt these two are the same.
Looking at FP-5's capabilities, the first detail of note is the warhead weight of a whole ton. It makes Flamingo not just twice as far-reaching but also twice as powerful as the U.S.-made Tomahawk, equipped with a 450-kg warhead.
Another important aspect, Milanion Group stated at the exhibition that it can produce over 50 missiles of this type monthly. Such speed is explained by an economic approach that sacrificed such sophisticated design features as container launch and a folding wing for the sake of mass production. The price is longer pre-launch preparation, taking at least 20 to 40 minutes. Still, given the capabilities offered by the FP-5, this much is to be expected.
The company also declared that the missile uses satellite navigation that is resistant to electronic warfare, coupled with an inertial guidance system. Coincidentally, there's another deepstrike weapon already actively used by the Ukrainian Defense Forces to great success with the same guidance system combination and same initials in its name — the FP-1 aerial one-way attack drone. Could it be that Milanion was also behind creating it?
It matters here because the FP-1 has proven its ultra-high accuracy and efficiency in real use. It was these drones that destroyed the Command post of the 132nd Motorized Rifle Brigade of the russian Armed Forces in Yenakiieve and struck a missile-producing plant in Arzamas lately.
Notably, Milanion Group is headquartered in the UAE, but back in 2021, it signed a cooperation agreement with a big Ukrainian defense company. Milanion also has its branches in other countries, such as the Milanion NTGS that operates in the UK.
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