Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
It can carry a payload of 800 kilograms.
In modern conflicts, distance is often the ultimate shield.
Nations work tirelessly to push their reach further, creating new tools that can bypass standard defenses.
Now, a fresh piece of hardware has stepped into the spotlight, promising to stretch those boundaries considerably – and potentially bring the war in Ukraine to Moscow.
A surprising reveal
During the Road to Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rzeszów, a defense company named Fire Point showcased a physical model of its new hardware.
According to Defense Express, the model represents the FP-9 ballistic missile, which aims to deliver significant firepower over long distances.
The manufacturer previously stated the weapon is designed to carry an 800 kilogram payload across 855 kilometres, putting distant targets well within its intended radius.
As the distance from the Northern Ukrainian border to Moscow is approx. 480 kilometres, this would make the new missile able to easily target to Russian capital.
Measuring the threat
Until this event, visual details about the project were scarce, often relying on placeholder illustrations shared by the developers.
The exhibition changed that by placing the new model directly beside an earlier prototype, the FP-7, which is already undergoing live trials.
By comparing the two models side by side, military analysts could finally estimate the true physical scale of the upcoming weapon with greater accuracy.
Larger than expected
Defense Express reports that the smaller prototype shares its body dimensions with a known air defense missile, measuring 7.5 metres in length.
Using that as a baseline, experts calculate the new FP-9 could stretch to approximately 9.5 metres long, with a maximum diameter of around 1.1 metres.
This massive footprint makes it substantially larger than standard systems like the American ATACMS, which measures a relatively compact four metres.
It also towers over similar Russian and Ukrainian designs, proving that moving heavy payloads across vast distances requires serious volume.
Death from above
Ballistic missiles are rocket-propelled guided weapons designed to be launched into a sub-orbital trajectory.
From sub-orbit, the missile then plummets towards its target, using gravity as an accelerant.
Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles are able to reach topspeeds of 24,000 km/h, equivalent of 6-8 km/s, making them borderline impossible for air defences shoot down before impact.
Sources: Defense Express, Ukrinform, The New Voice of Ukraine, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
