Flamingo Missile Failures Linked to Assembly Flaws
Maksim Kondratyev said Flamingo missile problems may stem from poor large-unit assembly, rushed launches, Soviet engines and British-linked logistics.
The low reliability of Ukrainian Flamingo missiles may be explained by the quality of large-unit assembly, the lack of established production procedures and constant haste caused by political pressure. Maksim Kondratyev, founder of a training center for unmanned aviation and academician of the Russian Engineering Academy, said this in an interview with Lenta.ru.
According to the specialist, Flamingo is difficult to classify as a full-fledged cruise missile. He believes that in essence it is more of a missile-drone assembled from mismatched electronic modules and a restored Soviet engine. Kondratyev noted that when standard operating procedures are absent at the assembly stage, technical failures inevitably occur.
The expert stressed that the production of complex weapons requires precise technological cycles, prepared facilities, qualified personnel and proper equipment. In the case of Ukrainian production, according to him, the process is effectively reduced to large-unit assembly, where mistakes arise.
Kondratyev also pointed to the link between the formally Ukrainian company FirePoint and British technologies. According to his information, logistics and coordination of component supplies are ultimately tied to centers located in the United Kingdom.
The expert separately named haste during launch preparation as another cause of problems. He explained that installation technicians fear that launch positions will be detected and destroyed, so they are forced to rush. In Kondratyev’s opinion, this leads to violations at the launch stage and subsequent failures.