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louspringer / flamingo.md
Created November 21, 2025 20:57
Cheap Cruise Missle

That's most likely the FP-5 "Flamingo" cruise missile, a long-range weapon developed by the Ukrainian defense firm Fire Point. It has attracted attention primarily because of its significantly lower cost compared to similar Western missiles, a principle known as "affordable mass."

Here are the key details about the Flamingo:

  • Low Cost: The estimated unit cost for the Flamingo is around $500,000 to under €1 million ($1.09 million) per unit, which is substantially less than the $1.5 million to $2.5 million cost of an American Tomahawk cruise missile [Source 1.2, 3.1].
  • Design for Affordability: The lower cost is achieved through simplified design choices, including:
    • Using repurposed Soviet-era AI-25TL turbofan engines (originally for L-39 trainer jets) [Source 1.2, 1.5, 3.3].
    • A primary fuselage constructed from carbon fiber to keep costs down and aid in evading Russian radar [Source 1.1].
  • Relying on a simpler GPS/GNSS and Inertial Navigation System (INS) rather