The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has reportedly delivered hundreds of Martlet Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs) to Ukraine. Delivered five months ahead of schedule, the missiles were made by Thales in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as part of a £1.6 billion defence cooperation agreement between the UK and Ukraine.
“The latest phase of a £1.6 billion deal signed earlier in the year will enable those battle-winning missiles to be integrated further into Ukraine’s air defence system, in a significant step for Ukraine’s own sovereign capabilities,” the UK’s MoD said in a statement.
The Martlet LMM is a lightweight, laser-guided air defence missile used to shoot down drones, helicopters, and low-flying aircraft. The early delivery means Ukraine now has hundreds of new, short-range air defence systems just as Russia ramps up drone and missile attacks for the winter campaign.
The missiles are part of the UK’s military aid package (“gifting programme”). Under this agreement, Ukraine doesn’t buy them, per se, as they’re supplied as a form of financial support for the beleaguered nation.
The delivery was announced during UK Minister Luke Pollard’s trade mission to Kiev. The visit coincided with Ukraine’s International Defence Industry Conference, which brought together hundreds of NATO and allied defence companies.
The deal supports a joint industrial framework helping Ukraine build its own defense production capacity. According to reports, 200 jobs were created directly in Northern Ireland, with another 700 sustained in the supply chain.
Ukraine’s largest drone maker (UKRSpec Systems) is investing £200 million in UK production facilities, creating 500 high-skill jobs. The deal is part of a broader UK–Ukraine 100 Year Partnership, promoting co-development, joint ventures, and defence export collaboration.
Նյութերը գեներացվում են տարբեր կայքերից արհեստական բանականության միջոցով