The UK is supplying over 5,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs) to Ukraine under a £1.6 billion deal announced by the Ministry of Defence on March 2, 2025. Built by Thales in Belfast, these cutting-edge missiles pack advanced tech into a compact frame, bolstering Ukraine’s defenses while fueling jobs at home.

The LMM is a marvel of modern engineering. Weighing just 13 kilograms (28.6 lbs) and stretching 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) long, it’s powered by a solid-fuel rocket motor, achieving speeds over Mach 1.5. Its 3-kilogram high-explosive warhead, paired with laser proximity and impact fuzes, ensures precision against diverse targets. With a range exceeding 6 kilometers (3.7 miles), the missile uses semi-active laser guidance and an infrared seeker for pinpoint accuracy, engaging drones, helicopters, and small boats. Its versatility shines through compatibility with land, sea, and air platforms—launchable from tripods, ships, or drones like the Martlet system.

This tech prowess is now scaling up. Initial deliveries of 650 missiles began in December 2024, but the new contract triples output to arm Ukraine against Russian aerial threats. At Thales’s Belfast plant, production is surging, creating 200 new jobs and sustaining 700 existing ones. The £1.6 billion deal, backed by United Kingdom Export Finance, marks the facility’s biggest contract ever, driving economic growth across the UK supply chain.

For Ukraine, the LMM’s speed, range, and adaptability promise robust air defense. For Thales, it’s a high-tech triumph, blending battlefield innovation with industrial impact. As these missiles roll off Belfast’s lines, they embody a fusion of lethal precision and economic vitality, reshaping both war and workforce.