Ukraine unleashes 'trump card' Flamingo: Power surpassing Tomahawk?

The Flamingo cruise missile, manufactured by the Ukrainian company Fire Point, is advertised as carrying a warhead weighing about 1,150 kg and having a range of up to 3,000 km. The Flamingo is considered a long-range weapon with great destructive power, able to fly at an altitude of only about 50 m above the ground, reducing the possibility of being detected by enemy radar. The first image of this missile was released on August 17, 2025. According to the announcement, the production rate is currently about one missile per day, with a cost of less than 1 million euros.

*Ukraine unveiled the Flamingo cruise missile with a range of 3,000 km, dubbed the “Kiev version of Tomahawk”. Photo: Fire Point*

The missile's body is made of carbon fiber and uses an Ivchenko AI-25TL turbofan engine reused from a decommissioned L-39 Albatros trainer aircraft to save on production costs. The Flamingo is quite large, flies below the speed of sound, and makes noise during operation.

According to Ukrainian media, the project was developed independently, without depending on funding or licenses from the West, and was based entirely on the initiative and skills of domestic engineering teams.

*No longer dependent on the West, Ukraine confidently plays its “trump card” Flamingo. Photo: Fire Point*

Despite its long range and powerful warhead, the Flamingo still has some technical limitations. The missile is not equipped with a stealth system or terrain matching guidance (TERCOM) and image recognition (DSMAC) mechanisms like the US Tomahawk. Instead, the missile uses a satellite guidance system combined with inertial guidance, has an anti-jamming antenna and the open-source ArduPilot autopilot.

*Flamingo is considered Ukraine's "reaching hand", carrying the message of technological power in the fight for initiative. Photo: Fire Point*

The use of the AI-25TL engine reflects Ukraine’s limited access to modern rocket engines, giving the Flamingo a large body, low acceleration and maneuverability. The estimated launch preparation time is between 20 and 40 minutes, reducing the system’s flexibility compared to more advanced Western cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk Block V, which are capable of rapid launch and more precise guidance.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/ukraine-tung-at-chu-bai-flamingo-suc-manh-vuot-tomahawk-429295.html