Ukrainian defense manufacturer Fire Point plans to launch dozens of space satellites in 2027. Denys Shtilerman, the company's co-founder and chief designer, told the Financial Times, UNN reports.
According to Shtilerman, two satellites have already been launched this year.
The impetus for the rapid development of Ukrainian technology was last year's conflict in the Oval Office between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — at that time, Washington blocked the transfer of intelligence to Kyiv for a week. Another motivation was the fact that Russia learned to use Starlink systems to guide drones attacking Ukraine.
The idea behind our weapons is that we are selling not just weapons and not just security, but independence in the field of security,
He said the company is expanding production of cruise and ballistic missiles and is developing a "pan-European air defense shield" to avoid dependence on specific manufacturers (referring to the "Freya" project, which plans to use FP-7 drones as missile interceptors). According to Shtilerman, European governments and defense groups are exploring the possibility of purchasing and co-producing the company's drones and missiles, which are much cheaper than Western models. For example, Germany is considering the purchase of "Flamingo" missiles. And in April, Fire Point and the German missile manufacturer Diehl Defence already signed an agreement on technological cooperation.
The article states that the European race to integrate battlefield-proven Ukrainian weapons is taking place against the backdrop of fears regarding the weakening of US security commitments on the continent. At the same time, according to the co-founder of Fire Point, due to a scandal in which the company was involved – referring to the "Mindich tapes" – a contract with the Danish government for the production of solid rocket fuel was frozen.
Every rumor creates delays
The Financial Times provides specific figures regarding the company's products. For instance, Fire Point produces about 200 FP-5 "Flamingo" missiles per month. And it can produce more. The flight range of this missile is 3,000 km — approximately twice that of the American "Tomahawk." The company's FP-7 short-range and FP-9 medium-range ballistic missiles are currently undergoing combat testing. Their ranges of 300 km and 850 km, respectively, will allow them to reach Moscow.
Military expert and senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute Rob Lee, quoted by the Financial Times, points out that the company's FP-2 medium-range drones "have become a key part of Ukraine's increasingly successful medium-range strike campaign," particularly for destroying Russian air defense systems in occupied territories.
According to Shtilerman and defense officials, about a third of Ukrainian drone strikes on targets in Russia are carried out by Fire Point's FP-1 long-range and FP-2 medium-range drones. The long-range drones are designed to evade Russian electronic warfare systems, operating without GPS and instead flying autonomously at low altitudes using night vision. The price of one FP-1 long-range drone is about 50,000 euros, which is significantly less than Western-made strike drones that cost three to four times more. The FP-2 costs even less.
The company states that its goal is to make its products cheaper and to have the capability for scaling.