(KYIV) – Ukraine has successfully tested the Firepoint 7 ballistic missile and is nearing trials for the Firepoint 9, a weapon with an 800 kilometre range capable of reaching Moscow. The Firepoint company has revealed a comprehensive ballistic missile roadmap, highlighting the strategic importance of its Firepoint 1 and Firepoint 2 drones. These systems are described as game changers due to the high value of Russian assets they destroy relative to their production cost. Officials claim every strike yields a return of 10, 20, or even 30 times the initial investment.
While the 5.5 Flamingo missile remains controversial and has seen limited use, it is unlikely to enter mass production. Ukrainian strategists appear to have pivoted away from the Flamingo, which costs approximately 21,114,800 Ukrainian Hryvnia ($478,610) per unit, in favour of the more cost effective Firepoint 7 and Firepoint 9 models. Although these newer ballistic missiles remain expensive to manufacture, they are significantly more difficult for Russian defences to intercept compared to standard cruise missiles.
The Firepoint 7 is designed as a ballistic missile with a range of 200 kilometres. Its successor, the Firepoint 9, is expected to provide the capability to strike the Russian capital directly. According to the chief designer at Firepoint, the company continues to evolve its designs to expand operational capacity. Recent modifications include relocating fuel tanks into the wings of the Firepoint 1 drone, allowing it to carry a 105 kilogramme payload over 1,000 kilometres. Similar upgrades to the Firepoint 2 are expected to increase its warhead payload to 158 kilogrammes.
