Test flights of the Ukrainian ballistic missile "Flamingo" towards Moscow may begin this summer or early autumn. This will become a fact after successful engine tests and the first test launch, said the co-founder of the manufacturer Fire Point Denis Shtilerman in an interview with the Ukrainian publication "Focus".
He revealed that the company had planned to manufacture and cast the large engines at a factory in Denmark, but the project was moved after information leaked to the media. A new enterprise is currently being built in Ukraine for these activities.
According to Shtilerman, the hulls, control systems and other components of the rocket, which is capable of reaching Moscow, are already fully ready. All that remains is to test the engine.
"We will test the engine this month and I hope to start test flights as soon as possible", he said. Shtilerman added that after the first successful launch, the next test flights could be directed directly to Moscow. "I expect that this summer, at the latest in early autumn, we will start test flights to Moscow", the co-founder of Fire Point announced.
He also noted that the company is immediately preparing for serial production, instead of limiting itself to just a few prototypes. The plan calls for the production of between 10 and 20 missiles for test launches, and after their official certification and acceptance into service, production could increase to dozens.
Commenting on the possible targets, Shtilerman said that this is a task for the military. However, he suggested that Ukraine could strike “key symbolic targets“ in Moscow as an option to deter Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Recently, the co-founder of Fire Point also spoke about the “Freya“ project - a joint Ukrainian-European missile defense system to intercept Russian ballistic missiles. According to him, the main weapon will be the FP-7.x missile, capable of reaching speeds of up to 2,000 m/s and destroying targets using an infrared guidance system. The developer noted that the project involves European manufacturers of radars and control systems, and the timing of the launch of the complex will depend on the speed of integration with partners.
In addition, Denis Shtilerman previously stated that businessman Timur Mindich had been trying to acquire 50% of the company for more than a year. According to him, the initial offer was about $ 100 million, and subsequently increased to almost $ 1 billion. Shtilerman claims that the negotiations ended after it was proposed to attract another proxy as a formal shareholder. He also confirmed that he discussed the possible deal with Mindich in the businessman's apartment on "Grushevsky" Street in Kiev.