Why the Flamingo plan was delayed: Fire Point explains the reason

The plan for the production of Ukraine's long-range Flamingo cruise missiles did not materialize on schedule. Irina Terex, head of the Fire Point company, attributed this to delays in expected funding from European Union loans and state orders.

The company had prepared lines capable of producing up to seven missiles per day. However, the built capacity is not yet being fully utilized — production volume remains dependent on financing and new contracts.

Seven missiles — not the current figure

Fire Point had previously announced plans to increase Flamingo missile production to at least seven per day by October 2025. Such a pace could have allowed for the production of 2,555 missiles over a year.

However, according to Irina Terex's new explanation, seven missiles is not the company's current daily production volume. It is the maximum design capacity of the previously built lines.

She stated that the company has not increased production to this level because the orders placed by Ukraine were insufficient to fully occupy the existing capacity.

Thus, the previously announced figure turned out to be not a real production result, but an upper limit that could be achieved if necessary funding and contracts were in place.

Delay in EU loan affected orders

Terex linked the reduction in production volume to Ukraine waiting for European Union loan funds. She explained that because funding was not secured on time, state orders did not match the maximum capacity Fire Point had prepared.

The European Union has approved a €90 billion support loan for Ukraine. According to the European Commission, the first €3.2 billion under the program was allocated on June 25, 2026, and another €3.9 billion intended for drone procurement was allocated on June 30.

The Guardian reported in late July that Fire Point's production is accelerating again after a pause caused by funding delays. According to the publication, the company is currently producing approximately 100 Flamingos per month. This means an average of slightly more than three missiles per day.

When will maximum capacity be reached?

Fire Point has not abandoned the plan to bring production to the level of seven missiles per day.

According to Irina Terex, the company could reach this figure by the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027. However, the exact deadline depends on when new contracts are signed and the volume of incoming orders.

The main problem here is not the lack of production lines. The company emphasizes that the necessary infrastructure has been created, but stable and pre-guaranteed orders are needed to use it at full capacity.

Therefore, the main obstacle facing Fire Point is currently financial and contractual, not technological.

What is the Flamingo missile?

The Flamingo, also known as the FP-5, is a long-range, ground-launched cruise missile developed in Ukraine.

According to information provided by Fire Point, the missile has:

— A flight range of up to 3,000 kilometers;
— A warhead of up to 1,150 kilograms;
— The capability to strike deeply located ground targets.

These technical specifications are based on company statements, and not all of them have been fully independently verified. The Associated Press reported in 2025 that Fire Point was producing approximately one Flamingo per day.

By July 2026, the company announced that it had increased monthly production to approximately 100 units. The head of Fire Point stated that the cost of each missile is slightly less than $600,000.

The engine problem is also being solved

Until now, Fire Point has used refurbished old jet engines in Flamingo missiles. However, as finding such units is becoming increasingly difficult, the company has begun developing its own engine.

Irina Terex announced in an interview with Reuters on July 29, 2026, that the first ten test engines are being assembled. If the tests are successful, the new engines could allow for further expansion of Flamingo production.

This factor also directly affects the rate of missile production. Because to prepare a large number of missiles, not only an assembly line is needed, but also a stable supply of engines.

The big plan now depends on contracts

The Fire Point example showed that there can be a large gap between production capacity and real orders in the Ukrainian defense industry.

The company built lines designed to produce seven missiles per day. But the state did not form the necessary funds and contracts to fully utilize this capacity on time.

Now the realization of the plan depends on three main factors:

— Timely allocation of European Union funds;
— Placement of long-term orders by Ukraine;
— Successful completion of local engine production tests.

Therefore, it is incorrect to accept the figure of seven Flamingos per day as the current production volume. This is the maximum capacity the company plans to reach, and the deadline for achieving it has been pushed back to at least the end of 2026. Leave your opinion in the comments and share the article with your acquaintances and friends on Telegram or other social networks!