German Defense Ministry Interested in Ukrainian Cruise Missiles
Germany's Defense Ministry, seeking low-cost long-range cruise missiles, has shown interest in two Ukrainian-made missile systems: the FP-5 'Flamingo' and the 'Bars'.
According to planning documents obtained by Politico, the German Defense Ministry has approached companies from Ukraine and Israel for the possible purchase of inexpensive long-range cruise missiles needed to deter Russia. The initiative gained new urgency after US President Donald Trump decided not to deploy a military unit equipped with long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Germany, leaving Berlin to seek its own solutions.
The German defense procurement agency has now turned to smaller defense firms, including Ukraine's Fire Point and Israel's Covenant. The documents list two Ukrainian-related missile systems as candidates: the 'Flamingo' (produced by Fire Point) and the 'Bars' (produced by an unnamed Ukrainian company). Both are being considered in an experimental study that could lead to a production contract if the weapons prove suitable.
The FP-5 'Flamingo' cruise missile has a range of 3,000 kilometers, carries a one-ton warhead, and has already been used to strike targets inside Russia. The 'Bars' missile has also been employed in recent Ukrainian attacks on Russia. These Ukrainian missiles cost around $500,000 each—about one-fifth the price of a Tomahawk—making them more suitable for a war of attrition like the one Ukraine is fighting against Russia.
In response to a request for comment, a German Defense Ministry spokesperson noted that the war in Ukraine has shown that striking strategic targets deep behind the front line has become 'a necessary condition for reliable deterrence.' 'Cost-effective systems can overwhelm an adversary's air defenses through mass attacks and therefore have high operational value,' the spokesperson said. The ministry aims to expand these capabilities as quickly as possible and is monitoring the market, but declined to discuss specific procurement plans or companies.
Earlier, German air defense manufacturer Diehl Defence (maker of the IRIS-T system) had been in talks with Fire Point regarding potential joint production of the 'Flamingo' in Germany. In May, Fire Point stated that the German government was considering replacing Tomahawks with Flamingos, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party has called for creating a Tomahawk alternative together with Ukraine.
