{"id":28003,"date":"2025-03-04T00:02:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T22:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=28003"},"modified":"2025-03-04T23:02:50","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T21:02:50","slug":"uk-orders-2-billion-worth-of-air-defense-missiles-for-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/uk-orders-2-billion-worth-of-air-defense-missiles-for-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"UK orders $2 billion worth of air defense missiles for Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

4 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The British government announced on March 3, 2025, that it has placed a major order worth up to $2 billion with Thales to supply more than 5,000 air defense missiles for Ukraine.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The contract, handled by the Defense Equipment & Support department of the British Ministry of Defense (MoD), will provide Ukraine with Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs) produced at Thales\u2019 factory in Belfast, Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deal is expected to generate 200 new jobs and sustain 700 existing ones, making it the largest single order in the history of the Thales Belfast plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UK\u2019s decision to expand its support for Ukraine was announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday after a meeting of European leaders in London to discuss military assistance for Kyiv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Strategic importance of the missile deal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukraine has been urging Western allies for months to boost its air defense capabilities as Russia continues to bombard civilian areas and critical infrastructure with a mix of suicide drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis new support will help protect Ukraine against drone and missile attacks, but it will also help deter further Russian aggression following any end to the fighting,\u201d said British Defense Secretary John Healey.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Graduation<\/a>
Graduation ceremony of Ukrainian pilots trained by the Royal Air Force. (Image Credit: UK Royal Air Force)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The UK\u2019s expanded commitment aligns with warnings from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), which has noted that Russia is ramping up production of missiles and attack drones. Western air defense systems are seen as critical in countering these threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Funding and production<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The missiles for Ukraine will be funded through a loan underwritten by UK Export Finance, part of a broader $4.4 billion export financing package set up last year to enable Ukraine to procure British-made military equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initial contract is valued at $1.46 billion, with an additional $630 million worth of potential work, the MoD confirmed. This new order follows an initial $204 million deal in September 2024, which covered the supply of 650 LMM missiles to Ukraine. The first deliveries from that contract began in December, and the missiles have already played a crucial role in Ukraine\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Ministry of Defense, the LMMs have been \u201cincredibly effective in protecting civilians and critical infrastructure from Russia\u2019s bombardment.\u201d The new order will triple the production of LMM missiles at Thales Belfast, benefiting defense companies across the UK\u2019s supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical capabilities of the LMM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM), also known as “Martlet”, is a highly advanced air defense weapon designed for precision targeting in urban environments.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Wildcat<\/a>
HMS Defender’s Wildcat HMA Mk 2 helicopter equipped with Martlet missiles. (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons\/UK MoD)<\/sup><\/em>

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Key specifications of the LMM:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n