---
title: "Heart transplant: Ukrainian Flamingo missile gets new engine to increase range"
description: "The Ukrainian Flamingo missile is changing its engine: instead of the Soviet AI-25TL, Western analogues are now being used. Experts note that this could increase the flight range by 450 km and solve production issues. 🔥🚀"
date: 2026-08-03T23:50:29.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainian-flamingo-missile-gets-new-engine-to-increase-range
tags: [fire-point, flamingo, ukraine, defense-express, honeywell]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Heart transplant: Ukrainian Flamingo missile gets new engine to increase range

![Ukrainian Flamingo missile with new engine for increased range on test stand](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/04/ukrainskaya-raketa-flamingo-poluchila-novyj-dvigatel/ukrainskaya-raketa-flamingo-poluchila-novyj-dvigatel-1.webp)

The Ukrainian Fire Point FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile has undergone significant changes to its powerplant. According to Defense Express, new versions of the munition utilize an engine different from those used in early samples. Although the AI-25TL jet engine was initially expected to be used, analysis of debris found by Russian forces indicates the application of British-made engines.

### Technical limitations and the search for a solution

Experts emphasize that transporting a 1-ton warhead over a distance of more than 3000 km requires a powerful turbojet engine. Previously, the most well-known modification of the FP-5 Flamingo was the version with the AI-25TL engine. This unit, producing 16.9 kN of thrust and weighing about 350 kg, is widely known as the standard powerplant for the L-39 Albatros trainer aircraft.

However, Ukrainian media noted that using the AI-25T air-to-air missile engine is the most promising, yet problematic option. The engine becomes a bottleneck in production, creating a compromise between the need to ensure a huge range and the ability to carry a heavy warhead.

### Structural features of the FP-5

The missile designers obviously anticipated this problem. In the FP-5 Flamingo, the engine is located above the fuselage rather than being integrated into its structure. This layout allows the powerplant to be replaced with relatively minor modifications to the missile itself, paving the way for the use of alternative engines.

### Western analogues and their advantages

The Western market offers about five types of turbojet engines without afterburners, producing thrust of about 17 kN and weighing between 300 and 400 kg. Most of them are similar in size or even smaller than the AI-25TL. Experts cite the family of American Honeywell TFE731 engines as a suitable benchmark.

Depending on the modification, the TFE731 engine produces thrust ranging from 15.6 to 19.1 kN with a weight between 337 and 386 kg. Its key advantage over the Soviet analogue is its dimensions: it is approximately 1 meter shorter and 15 cm narrower, making it 30% shorter and 17% more aerodynamic. Given that more than 9,000 such engines have been produced, purchasing them in large quantities is quite feasible.

### Impact on combat characteristics

The most important advantage of TFE731-type engines is significantly higher fuel efficiency. The fuel consumption of the TFE731-3 model is up to 15% lower under comparable flight conditions. If similar improvements are achieved with the FP-5 Flamingo, the declared flight range of 3000 km could theoretically increase by approximately 450 km with the same amount of fuel and payload.