Fire Point Designer Says FP-7 Missile Is Too Costly With Standard Warhead

Fire Point chief designer Denys Shtilerman says Ukraine's FP-7 ballistic missile has been tested in combat, but is not cost-effective with a conventional warhead. The Ukrainian outlet TSN reported his remarks on Oct. 30. It cites an appearance on the United News TV marathon on 1+1.

Shtilerman is co-owner of Fire Point, the company that builds the missile. The comments come from the weapon's own maker.

What Shtilerman Said

Shtilerman says delivering 200 kg of explosives over 300 km with the FP-7 costs about $600,000. The same job can be done for about $50,000, he says. TSN links that figure to Fire Point's FP-2 strike drone.

“Delivering 200 kg over 300 km for $600,000, when you can do it for $50,000, makes no sense at all,” Shtilerman said, in Clash Report's translation of TSN's Ukrainian text. He adds that a ballistic missile carries far less explosive by design. Its casing must be very strong, he says, unless it has a cluster warhead.

TSN reports that he would rather launch 16 FP-2 drones than one FP-7. The missile would make sense only after a cluster-warhead version enters service, the outlet says. It adds that the FP-9 is in final testing and will see combat soon.

Versions of the remarks on social media add that he called the FP-7 “much cheaper than ATACMS” but “quite expensive on its own.” Clash Report could not find that wording in TSN's text.

Where the FP-7 Still Fits

Shtilerman has made similar points before. SFG Media reports that he said deep strikes into Russia with the FP-7 “make no sense.” The exception, he said, is quickly hitting a newly deployed Iskander launcher.

In that account, a drone with a modified wing can carry the same warhead 380 km for $40,000 to $50,000. The report says the missiles are being stockpiled for Freyja, the European antiballistic project.

Fire Point CEO Iryna Terekh struck a different note on Oct. 30. She told Reuters the FP-7 can hit Iskander launchers before they relocate, NV reports. She also said it would be cheaper than using Patriot interceptors.

The FP-7 So Far

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the missile's first combat use on Oct. 1. “Ukrainian tactical ballistic missile. FP-7. First combat use. Thank you for the result,” he said. His communications adviser would not say what it hit, the Kyiv Independent reported.

The Kyiv Independent lists claimed specifications of up to 250 km range, 1,500 meters per second and a 200 kg warhead. Shtilerman has said the range reaches 300 km depending on the warhead. Other outlets cite a 150 kg warhead. These are manufacturer figures and are not independently verified.

In March, Shtilerman called the FP-7 “an analog of ATACMS, probably even with a larger warhead.” He said it would “cost at least twice as little,” the Kyiv Independent reported. He also warned that building only two or three a month “makes no sense” because it “will not affect the front.”

Flamingo Row and Freyja

The remarks come amid a dispute over Fire Point's Flamingo cruise missile. A clipped video of Terekh spread online, wrongly suggesting production had stopped. Shtilerman said on X on Oct. 30 that FP-5 output is rising, Interfax-Ukraine reports. Flamingo missiles struck a defense plant in Volgograd in June.

Fire Point also leads Freyja, the European antiballistic shield. Its interceptor, the FP-7.X, builds on the FP-7. Clash Report has covered Ukraine's progress on Freyja.