UK to provide Ukraine with 650 lightweight multirole anti-aircraft missiles Martlet
The UK government has ordered and will begin supplying Ukraine with a batch of 650 lightweight multirole missiles worth £162 million ($213 million) by the end of the year. This was announced by the British Ministry of Defence.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by the press service of the UK Ministry of Defence.
It is noted that the missiles will be officially announced on Friday at a regular meeting in the "Ramstein" format by Defence Secretary John Healey.
The missiles will be manufactured in Belfast at the plant of the French military-industrial corporation Thales.
The Ministry notes that the UK has already provided Ukraine with hundreds of lightweight multi-purpose missiles. Weighing 13 kg and with a range of about six kilometres, these missiles can be launched from a variety of carriers and used against drones and other targets in the air, on the ground and at sea.
What is known about the missile?
Martlet The lightweight, multi-role guided missile developed by Thales Air Defence and adopted by the UK is called "Martlet".
The UK Ministry of Defence placed an initial order for 1,000 missiles, which were scheduled to be delivered starting in 2013.
However, initial operational capability was achieved in 2021, and full operational capability only in 2024.
The missile is equipped with a semi-active target coordinator that is guided by a laser beam. This type of guidance allows the missile to hit air, ground, and sea targets at ranges of 5 to 9 km.
The missile itself weighs 13 kg with a 3 kg warhead.
It is 1.3 m long.
The diameter is 76 mm.
The missile has a speed of Mach 1.5.
The range is 8 km.
The missiles, manufactured by Thales at its Belfast plant, are highly versatile and can be launched from a variety of platforms, whether on land, sea or air.
A feature of the LMM Martlet missile is its dual-channel guidance system, which uses a laser beam and infrared guidance in the final stage of guidance. The missile's low speed makes it more convenient and efficient for the MANPADS operator to aim.
