UK To Supply Ukraine With 650 LMM Systems

The U.K. Government has pledged to send £162 million-worth of Thales Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems to help boost Ukraine's air defences.

The new package is set to be announced by Defence Secretary John Healey MP today (Friday) at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) meeting at the U.S. Air Force Base in Ramstein, Germany.

The move is designed to illustrate the new government’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in its efforts to repel the Russian invasion. At a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov earlier this week the Defence Secretary confirmed that £300 million-worth of artillery ammunition will start arriving in Ukraine before the end of the year.

The missile systems package announced today is also expected to be delivered by the end of 2024. Built in Belfast by Thales, the multi-platform LMM missile — also known as "Martlet" and named after a mythical bird which never roosts — can be fired from shoulder launchers, armoured vehicles, mobile launchers, or from the air.

They can also be used at sea, and can destroy static targets, enemy vehicles, and drones. Laser-guided, each missile weighs just 13kg and has a 6km range; it travels at speeds in excess of Mach 1.5.

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: "This new commitment will give an important boost to Ukraine’s air defences and demonstrates our new government’s commitment to stepping up support for Ukraine. 

"In recent days we have seen the tragic cost of Russia’s indiscriminate strikes on Poltava and Lviv. These new U.K.-made missiles will support Ukraine to defend its people, infrastructure, and territory from Putin’s brutal attacks.

"With our international partners today, we will show that we are united for Ukraine. And we will discuss how best we can work together to improve support. Because the security of the UK and Europe starts in Ukraine."

Earlier this week, the Government confirmed more than £1 billion had now been pledged to the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), set up by the U.K. and Denmark in 2022 for countries to pool resources to buy equipment and weapons. The U.K. has donated £500 million to the Fund to date.

You can read more details on the MoD website