00:00Hello and welcome today to the Eurository trade show where we are at the most incredible
00:04booth which is Firepoint, the Ukrainian company that rocks, which is responsible for almost
00:10half of the destruction that Ukraine inflicts deep inside Russia.
00:14Suffice it to say that they cost Russia tens of billions of dollars and that's strategic.
00:19It's thanks to this that they hope to cause Russia's economic collapse and therefore ultimately
00:23win the war.
00:24I suggest a quick overview of everything they're presenting at their booth here, ranging from
00:29propeller driven drones to ballistic missiles.
00:43That one right there is the FP1 or the FP2, as you can see it's super modular, super simple
00:48to operate.
00:49Remember that factory I visited?
00:51I had the honor back then of getting to see it.
00:53They're now producing over 200 to 250 of them a day.
00:57The exact numbers are still not known.
00:59So the interesting thing is that there are two models.
01:02There's one model that goes very far, a range of 1200 kilometers carrying only about 40 kilos
01:07of payload.
01:08It's perfectly suited, for example, to strike refineries or sites that aren't protected,
01:13particularly on airfields for instance.
01:15And then you have a heavy version, a 300 kilo warhead, so much more intense explosions,
01:19which only strike at 300 kilometers.
01:21That's more for occupied Ukraine.
01:24In the FP1 version, which goes very, very far, it's GPS inertial navigation with autonomous
01:30terminal guidance using a camera.
01:32Whereas the version targeting occupied Ukraine at 300 kilometer has real time instant video
01:37feedback via Starlink, there's a small Starlink antenna fitted right on top.
01:42That's just to give you an idea of the real size of an FP1.
01:45You see it's absolutely gigantic.
01:46You don't necessarily realize it usually, but here you can clearly see the payload.
01:50And in reality, the explosive payload will depend on the need, on the distance we're
01:54trying to cover.
01:55Either we need to go very, very far, in which case we'll only put a 40 kilo payload and then
02:00we'll pack more petrol, more fuel.
02:02Oh, well, indeed, we can load it to the max.
02:05And at that point it will be limited to 300 kilometers.
02:08But overall, you now have to imagine the longest range FP1s.
02:11That's a 2,500 kilometer range for sites that haven't been heavily fortified, like refineries,
02:17warehouses, for example.
02:19A kind of environment that doesn't require very, very powerful explosives.
02:22And here it's actually the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs signing this FP1, which
02:27is about to be launched against Russia soon.
02:29Watch out, we're moving on to the color pink, the legendary Flamingo.
02:32Look at how gorgeous it is.
02:34Look, they even made the little plushie with its tiny missile on the side.
02:37It's magnificent.
02:39Everything about this missile is simple.
02:41The goal is for it to be easy to use.
02:43It's launched from the ground on a launch ramp.
02:45It fits in a regular truck, so it will go unnoticed.
02:49It uses standard aviation fuel.
02:52And so they are producing them.
02:53Now these are my own estimates.
02:55Don't hold it against me.
02:57Basically, I think they will build more than 50 a month, maybe even 80 a month by the end
03:01of the year.
03:01And that's how they're going to produce a massive amount of them.
03:03We're talking about a 3,000 kilometers operational range carrying a payload of one ton, completely
03:09autonomous navigation, jamming resistance.
03:12Obviously, when you fire 250 systems a day, there comes a point where you learn how to
03:15bypass Russian electronic warfare, so they know how to bypass it.
03:19But what's more, they are managing to destroy it more and more effectively, including the
03:22radars and the launchers themselves.
03:24So in the end, these big things that the Russians were laughing at, they don't exist.
03:28I think it's because the Russians said they didn't exist that the Ukrainians allowed us
03:32to come and see this factory.
03:33Oh, it's the second foreigner allowed inside.
03:35It was a great honor.
03:36So now that it's proven to exist, they said, no, it's a big bus.
03:39Don't worry.
03:39We'll spot it, detect it and destroy it.
03:41The Ukrainians take the liberty of striking in broad daylight with the Flamingo, with the
03:46results we see factories more than 1,800 kilometers away.
03:50Why 1,800?
03:51Because if you travel 3,000 kilometers in a straight line, in reality, you will end up
03:55flying over cities or also protected sites.
03:57When you zigzag, then you have the ability to bypass a number of air defenses.
04:02By flying in the valleys, you are hidden from radars.
04:04The Russians?
04:05It's sad for them.
04:06They don't have any AWACS left.
04:08They only have four operational AWACS left.
04:10The A-50.
04:11Now, you have to be up high to have a radar that sees low and to be able to see
04:16this type
04:16of system that goes very, very far, even if they are very, very large.
04:20And so the Russians fail to detect them and most of these missiles end up hitting the target.
04:253,000 kilometers, one ton, and we're up to a few hundred thousand euros.
04:29So it's still obviously expensive by Ukrainian standards.
04:32But it's not even the price of a French scalp missile, not to mention the American Tomahawks.
04:38Now you should know that since we made this video, things have evolved a lot.
04:42Things are moving very fast at fire points.
04:44Now, this missile has the capability to fly at very, very low altitude, what are called
04:49very low altitude flight paths.
04:51So enemy ground-based radars won't see a vehicle, whether it's a missile or a drone, flying
04:57below what's called the radar horizon.
05:00And that's possible in particular thanks to inertial navigation chips provided by France,
05:04provided by Safran, in the early versions of the Flamingo.
05:07We were too slow administratively to deliver them, but we finally managed to move forward and
05:11provide them.
05:12So now there are a greater number of direct hits on targets.
05:16And that's why this September strikes took place directly in the heart of Moscow using
05:21flamingos and not just with platforms like the FP1, which can be deployed in very, very
05:26large numbers.
05:27And it's no longer just about situation.
05:29Now, they can afford to use them downtown because they fly so low that they go undetected
05:33and therefore aren't intercepted.
05:34And so with the Flamingo FP5, what's incredible is that the little nuts you see right there aren't
05:39bullshit.
05:40That's really how it's built.
05:42The goal is for it to be simple and effective.
05:44They have only two ways of improving their products.
05:46Either we do the same thing for cheaper or we do better for the same price.
05:50Those are the only two improvements accepted in the development of all the Firepoint products
05:54we see around us.
05:56But then there's another category.
05:57Here we're talking about cruise missiles.
05:58They fly very low.
05:59They're more or less stealthy.
06:00We try to hide from enemy radar.
06:02But you also have the option of ballistic missiles.
06:04The big difference with a ballistic missile is that it goes extremely high, gathers enormous
06:08speed and travels relatively far.
06:10And with that, we're talking about reaching speeds of 5,000 kilometers per hour.
06:13So it's extremely, extremely difficult to intercept.
06:16You can't do it with traditional interceptor missiles.
06:19For that, you need theater-level systems.
06:21The Patriot, the S-400, the S-400.
06:23And so these are interceptors that cost a lot more.
06:26As a result, we have a strike capability that is going to be superior.
06:29And you can't.
06:30We are also going to exhaust the enemy's air defenses, because it's easier to launch
06:34than to intercept, as you might imagine.
06:36So it will be capable of launching a 150 kg payload at a distance of 250 kilometers.
06:41It's more or less the equivalent of the American ATC-MS, which still made a big difference
06:46at the start of the war.
06:47So now they will be able to produce it themselves locally.
06:50It hits the ground at 5,000 kilometers per hour hour.
06:53It has an accuracy, a CEP, of only 12 meters.
06:56So right now, they've already tested it several times.
06:59They validated it on site, but that's not all.
07:02Because starting from this missile, you know, they reuse things.
07:04They don't start from scratch on an ultra-complex system.
07:07They want to make an interceptor missile.
07:09Because their air defense relies way too much on us.
07:11And so they want to be able to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.
07:16And so the FBFP-7RR is under development.
07:19They have already run several tests today.
07:21It's ready to go into production if their European partners were up to speed.
07:25That's to say they asked for partners who could keep up with them.
07:28And we failed to get the signatures, the stamps on the right papers at the right time.
07:31As a result, their interceptor on their end, mechanically, it's fine.
07:35And after that, it's certainly missing.
07:37I don't know exactly what's missing.
07:38Maybe seekers or essential systems.
07:42But unfortunately, that will likely delay the interceptor's entry into service until 2027,
07:47unless they go with other partners in the United States.
07:49It would break my heart to see 5-point leave for the United States because the Europeans
07:52are too slow to take action.
07:55The FSC-7 has also made a lot of progress.
07:57Already by the end of August, there had already been 15 successful operational tests on the
08:02Ukrainian testing grounds and over-occupied Ukraine.
08:06Now, it too has struck directly inside Russia, notably to destroy air defense systems, which
08:12would then pave the way for strikes directly on Moscow.
08:15And next, you have another category.
08:18Here we're looking at the FP-FP9.
08:21The FP-FP9 is the heavy version, so this one is also a ballistic missile that will travel
08:26even further.
08:27I forgot to mention, they are solid-fueled, meaning the propellant isn't liquid fuel requiring
08:32super complicated hydrogen cooling, which takes days, allowing satellites to spot them during
08:37launch preparation because the cooling process is detectable.
08:40When it's solid-fueled, you can just snap your fingers.
08:43A minute later, the missile is launched.
08:46And that's also a stealth capability, but again, one of simplicity, as I mentioned earlier.
08:51And here, we can see the tanks.
08:53Everything is made of carbon fiber, and is actually woven directly in the factories.
08:57And this one will fly at 8,400 kilometers, kilometer stature, it reaches an altitude of
09:01up to 50 kilometers with a warhead hold on tight of 800 kilos.
09:06800 kilos and 850 kilometers range, climbing up like that to over 50 kilometers in altitude.
09:10And that's the long-range version.
09:12In fact, you know that Firepoint has now launched missiles, but not for long-range strikes into
09:17orbit.
09:18They've sent satellites into space.
09:19And once the Ukrainians started launching low-cost satellites, SpaceX better watch out,
09:24because they will be cheaper than SpaceX.
09:26After all, their goal is to build a full range by once again building on what they've already
09:32developed.
09:32Look, at the body size, it's almost the same.
09:35They systematically work by building on something that works, that is effective.
09:39And what's funny is that on top of that, at Firepoint behind us, there's the good news
09:43from last night.
09:44Today is June 18th.
09:45Well, last night, Moscow was heavily hit, and you can recognize the little FP1s.
09:50Take a look.
09:51Now, let's look at a few more prospects for Firepoint.
09:54First of all, you know that Ukraine has been licensed to produce Franco-British scout missiles,
09:59Italian Aster-30 interceptor missiles, and American Patriot missiles, until Donald Trump
10:04changes his mind yet again.
10:05Nevertheless, I think this is the company's best position to do it.
10:08There are others, you know, that make ballistic missiles, which means they have logistics, equipment
10:13that is closer to interceptor missiles, so logically, it could be possible.
10:17But these other companies are state-owned enterprises that needed six, seven, eight years
10:22to develop systems that Firepoint, with its new methods, was able to do in barely a year
10:27and a half, or even less than two years, generally speaking.
10:30So it would make sense for this company to also have the capacity to produce foreign equipment
10:33under license, so they can also ramp up their ballistic missile interception capabilities.
10:37And then, of course, their Freya project, the major Freya project, in which the Ukrainians,
10:41along with Firepoint, are the international coordinator.
10:44To be able to produce, in Europe, dependently, and under European control, an interceptor
10:50system, that would be much, much cheaper than what currently exists.
10:54While maintaining the effectiveness of the Aster-30 and the Patriots, simply because they
10:58have new, more efficient methods, with systems that don't need to go through very complicated
11:01certifications.
11:02And that is truly the future as well.
11:05So there you have it, a company with a great future.
11:08And I'd like to remind you that they've already launched satellites into orbit several times.
11:12So yeah, that means there are still some rather unique systems out there that you don't
11:16necessarily hear about and that aren't showcased at trade shows.
11:18In any case, I hope you enjoyed this video, and I'll see you all very soon.
