Ukrainian missiles competing for major European defense contract for first time - Politico
Photo: Launch of the Flamingo missile (Fire Point)
Germany's Defense Ministry is considering Ukrainian and Israeli cruise missiles as an alternative to US-made Tomahawk missiles for its long-range strike arsenal, according to Politico, which reviewed planning documents from Germany's Defense Ministry.
According to the outlet, Germany's Defense Ministry procurement office has approached Ukrainian company Fire Point and Israeli startup Covenant for information about their missile products.
Why Berlin is looking for alternatives
The search was triggered by President Donald Trump's decision not to deploy a Tomahawk missile unit in Germany, as well as the depletion of US stockpiles due to the war with Iran.
According to estimates by The Washington Post, the United States launched about 850 Tomahawk missiles during the first weeks of the conflict, roughly a quarter of its total inventory. Meanwhile, the US Navy is expected to receive only 110 new missiles this year.
Berlin's attempts to purchase Tomahawk missiles directly have also stalled. According to Politico, the Pentagon is not expected to begin the sales process before mid-2026.
Ukrainian missiles
The planning documents mention two Ukrainian systems: the Flamingo cruise missile developed by Fire Point and the Bars medium-range jet-powered drone.
The Flamingo has a range of 3,000 kilometers, carries a one-ton warhead, and has already been used to strike targets inside Russia. Its key advantage is cost: about $500,000 per missile, making it five times cheaper than a Tomahawk.
German missile manufacturer Diehl Defence, which produces the IRIS-T air defense system, is already in talks with Fire Point about the possibility of jointly manufacturing the Flamingo in Germany.
Berlin's four-stage plan
According to the documents, Germany is building a multi-layered long-range strike arsenal:
- Acquisition of the US-made Typhon launcher system (from 2029);
- Procurement of low-cost cruise missiles (from 2027);
- Development of a high-performance cruise missile jointly with the UK (by 2032);
- A hypersonic glide vehicle, also in cooperation with the UK (by 2035).
The Financial Times said last week that Diehl Defence is already planning talks with Fire Point on launching Flamingo missile production in Germany.
Earlier, Fire Point unveiled its new FP-7 and FP-9 ballistic missiles, as well as the Freya missile defense system, which is being developed jointly with Diehl Defence.
