Talk:Wunderwaffen

The Flamingo

Left: The UK/Ukraine 'Flamingo'; Right: The German V-1 "buzz bomb" with launcher arrived too late with certain vulnerabilities to make a difference. It's design decades later was the prototype for American Predator drone and others.

The Flamingo belongs to a much larger discussion in the Category:Weapons Development, which is a much larger subject.

The Flamingo is 1940s German technology pirated by the British recast with 1950s technology. Between the 1950s and 1970s, it underwent several upgrades to keep up with the technical improvements of the times. With the coming of modern cruise missiles in the 1980s and British Storm Shadow, it was retired from service and its production ended. However, a large stockpile built over 40 years was warehoused.

Now in 2025 the UK is unloading its stockpile on Ukraine. It is shipped to Ukraine in parts, and reassembled as a "Ukrainian produced" weapon. This of course is complete nonsense. It's only one example of the lies, psyops, and propaganda in the NATO war in Ukraine which has been ongoing since 2014. It is however a good introductory example of both weapons development and the international arms trade which is crucial to understanding any and all wars, foreign policy, international relations, etc. etc. etc, past, present, and future. RobS^{Zelensky Must Go!} 17:39, October 27, 2025 (EDT)

Other examples

American B-52 Stratofortress, in service since 1945. The Russians obtained the structural design when several Stratofortresses were forced to land in Vladivostok after a bombing run over Japan late in WWII.

Modern Russian AWACS based on the Stratofortress structural design.

(left) Volkssturm being outfitted with the Panzerfaust in spring 1945; (right) German-made Panzerfaust 3 used in the Russia-Ukraine war 2022.

(left) Post-WWII Soviet improvements to the German Panzerfaust known as the RPG, still in service worldwide (right) RPG attached to drone.

The Soviet RPG, an innovation based on the German Panzerschreck, proved to be a more versatile anti-tank weapon than the American bazooka after World War II. RobS^{Zelensky Must Go!} 17:26, October 28, 2025 (EDT)

Update: The Russians now have produced an innovation that can fire a MANPAD from a drone. A MANPAD or shoulder fired heat-seeking missile is capable of taking down commercial aircraft. To give some idea how many MANPADS were produced in Soviet times, 20,000 were discovered from underground storage bunkers when Gaddafi fell. That's some idea of how many probably exist in Cuban and North Korean bunkers.

North Korean drone built off the prototype of the American Predator drone which copied the Nazi V1 buzz bomb.

The United States spends Billions on R&D through DARPA to develop weapons. Once the technology is developed, adversaries copy it for pennies on the dollar. Hence the need for arms control to limit the perpetual rounds of escalation in a senseless and unending arms race. RobS^{Abnormal is fine. Stupid isn't.} 23:17, January 8, 2026 (EST)

IOWs, you don't need a $35 million aircraft to fire a heat-seeking missile. It can be done with a $20,000 drone and MANPAD bought & paid more than 50 years ago. RobS^{Abnormal is fine. Stupid isn't.} 23:40, January 8, 2026 (EST)