PARIS — The UK has placed an order worth 1.6 billion pounds ($2 billion) to Thales to supply more than 5,000 air defense missiles to Ukraine, the government said.
The UK Ministry of Defense’s Defense Equipment & Support division has ordered a lightweight multi-roll missile made by Thales on behalf of the Ukrainian government, the UK’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Monday. The order follows a presentation by Kiel Prime Minister Stage on Sunday following a meeting of European leaders in London to discuss support for Ukraine.
For months, Ukrainian President Voldy Mirzelensky has been calling for more air defenses for its country, as Russia targets all kinds of energy infrastructure, from Ukrainian civilians and suicide drones to ballistic missiles.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies says that in the face of Russia’s plans to increase missile production and attack drones, the continued supply and support of Western Air Force defense systems is important
“This new support will help protect Ukraine from drone and missile attacks, but will also help to stop further Russian attacks following the end of the battle,” Defense Secretary John Healy said in a statement.
The missiles will be produced in Thales, Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the order will create 200 jobs and support 700 existing jobs, the Ministry of Defense said. This order is the largest ever for Thales in Belfast, and according to the mod, it is the second largest order in the entire UK.
The missiles will be funded by loans undertaken by British export finance following last year’s agreement to allow Ukraine to withdraw £3.5 billion in export funds to spend on British industry. The deal is worth the first £1.16 billion, and could add another £500 million of work, according to the ministry.
The deal will increase production of Ukrainian 650 LMM missiles on the first £162 million order in September, with delivery to begin in December. Ukraine already uses missiles and is “very effective in protecting civilians and critical infrastructure from Russian artillery fire,” the ministry said.
According to the MOD, the new order will triple production of LMM missiles at Thales Factory in Belfast, bringing benefits to companies in the supply chain across the UK.
LMM is a lightweight missile with laser guidance, which, according to Thales, says, allows for “low collateral damage.” In other words, missiles are optimized for operation in urban environments. The missile weighs 13 kilograms, equipped with a triple effect warhead and a close fuse, travels at Mach 1.5 and ranges over 6km.
Rudy Ruitenberg is a European correspondent for Defense News. He began his career with Bloomberg News and has experience reporting on technology, commodity markets and politics.
