UK to supply 650 more LMM air-defence missiles to Ukraine

Thales' Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM). (Crown Copyright)

The United Kingdom will supply 650 Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems for Ukraine's air defences, the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 6 September.

The GBP162 million (USD214 million) order with Thales UK in Belfast will see the first batch of LMMs arrive in Ukraine by the end of 2024, said the MoD in a press release.

The LMM is a short-range surface-to-air (anti-aircraft), surface-to-surface, and air-to-surface missile that uses laser beam-riding (LBR) guidance. With a speed greater than 510 m/s (around Mach 1.5), it has a claimed accuracy of less than 0.25 m circular error probable at a maximum range of 6 km. It has a 3 kg warhead on a high-explosive (HE) blast/pre-formed fragmentation model, which incorporates a shaped charge in the forward portion.

In demand

The order was announced by UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey at the 24th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting at the US Air Force Base in Ramstein, Germany.

The UDCG, also known as the Ramstein group, is an alliance of 57 countries all supporting Ukraine with military aid. Since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion, the UK has provided hundreds of LMMs to Ukraine for air defence.

On 23 July the UK government announced a GBP176 million deal with Thales for “a significant number” of LMMs to replenish the Royal Navy and the British Army's own stocks.

The MoD told Janes that this September order is “a completely new order of LMM[s], which will be given directly to Ukraine as soon as they're received, so will not be used to backfill stocks and does not relate to other orders”.

Funding mechanisms