Ukraine's defense boost: UK sends over 5,000 Martlet missiles
The British Ministry of Defence announced on March 2, 2025, that Ukraine will receive over 5,000 Martlet (LMM) anti-aircraft missiles. We explore what this innovation, which achieved initial operational capability at the end of 2021, can accomplish.
The British, soon after the unsuccessful talks between President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky, announced that they would supply over 5,000 Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) anti-aircraft systems, also known as Martlet, to Ukraine. These systems are intended to protect Ukrainian infrastructure from threats such as Russian cruise missile attacks.
To facilitate the delivery volume of the £1.6 billion contract, the Thales factory in Belfast will be expanded. Following the latest contract from September 2024 for 650 units, the first batch of missiles has already been delivered before the holidays.
Keir Starmer's cabinet continues the policy of supporting Ukraine, a strategy upheld by its predecessor since the full-scale war in 2022. Notably, the British were pioneers in crossing "Putin's red lines" by offering the first deliveries of modern NATO tanks such as the Challenger 2 and long-range weapons like the Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
Martlet (LMM) — a newer alternative to the FIM-92 Stinger from the UK
The Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) system, commonly referred to as Martlet, is developed by Thales Air Defence and is distinguished by its versatility. Although it doesn't appear to be a typical anti-aircraft missile at first glance, its warhead is also capable of attacking lightly armoured vehicles, such as BMP-2 or patrol boats.
The LMM uses the same guidance system and launcher as the Starstreak but is equipped with a traditional warhead that can operate in fragmentary and shape-charge modes. Aside from being cost-effective, laser beam riding guidance ensures complete immunity to self-defence systems like flares, though it requires the shooter to guide the launched missile until impact.
This system weighs about 13 kilograms (29 lbs), and Thales claims its range at 6.4 kilometres (4 miles) when launched from a land launcher or 8 kilometres (5 miles) from a helicopter. It's important to highlight that, unlike the Starstreak with a speed of Mach 3.5 (1,193 m/s), Martlet moves slower, achieving Mach 1.5 (~510 m/s). These parameters exceed those of the American FIM-92 Stinger systems, which have an interception range of up to 4.8 kilometres (3 miles) and an altitude of up to 4 kilometres (2.5 miles), with additional capability to attack ground targets.
