£1.6 Billion Boost: UK funds LMM air defence missiles for Ukraine

The British government has announced a £1.6 billion (€1.9 billion) funding package for Ukraine that will enable it to procure up to 5,000 Lightweight Multi-Role Missiles (LMM), enhancing the country’s air defences and strike capabilities, the British MoD said in a 2nd March press release. 

The deal will treble LMM production at the Thales facility in Belfast and require an expansion of 200 additional staff. It includes an initial funding amount of £1.16 billion (€1.4 billion) with an additional £500 million (€605 million) in funding available for collaboration with an industry partner.  The industry partner will build launchers and command and control vehicles for the LMM in Ukraine, according to the press release. 

This order follows a 2024 contract with Thales for 650 LMMs, which was valued at £162 million with first deliveries taking place just before Christmas. The deal announced over the weekend is the largest in the history of Thales UK and is funded through a loan provided by the UK Export Finance, a government office which supports UK exports and investment in UK projects through financial support. It states that it does so at no net cost to the taxpayer. 

“My support for Ukraine is unwavering. I am determined to find a way forward that brings an end to Russia’s illegal war and guarantees Ukraine a lasting peace based on sovereignty and security,” Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said, following a conference that convened 18 countries to discuss a new approach to peace in Ukraine. 

The conference took place after a meeting between Ukraine’s President Zelensky and the US President, Donald Trump on the 28th February, which has widely been regarded as disastrous. The two presidents met to agree a deal giving the US 50% of the profits from Ukraine’s state-owned mineral deposits, but talks broke down and the deal was not signed. 

This left many concerned for Ukraine’s future prospects, however, the European response led by the UK is designed to fill that void and provide a route forward that will be led by Europe, hopefully with support from the US. It comes close on the heels of a raft of funding and pledges announced by states across Europe, signalling clear support for Ukraine in the coming year. 

Tech profile: LMM

A Ukrainian soldier shoulders an LMM Martlet. The missile can be fired from a variety of launchers, the configuration shown here affords infantry the capability to engage ISTAR assets at the tactical level without needing radar. Credit: АрміяInform, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The LMM from Thales is designed to be launched from platforms in all domains – land, air, and sea – it is a laser beam riding missile, which means that the target is illuminated with a laser by the launch platform before the missile is fired. The missile has its own sensors that detect the beam and provide adjustments as the beam moves, making sure that the missile stays on course. The missile’s sensors are typically in the base of the missile body, which makes jamming them difficult. The LMM travels at Mach 1.5, which is around 500 metres per second, and has a maximum range of 6 km. This means that it can travel to the target very quickly, minimising the response time. However, it is worth noting that guiding missiles travelling at high speeds can be difficult in congested terrain. That said, this is unlikely to be so much of an issue in the air defence role that it is set to fulfill in Ukraine. 

The missile has a laser proximity fuze which means that the warhead can detonate when it is in close proximity to the target. This is important for small manoeuvring targets like drones or uncrewed surface vessels. The warhead is a combination of blast fragmentation and a shaped charge. The shaped charge provides the anti-armour capabilities, while blast fragmentation is effective against light vehicles, drones, and personnel. 

Calibre comment

Russia has invested vast sums in attacking Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure causing severe damage to its power generation and distribution network over the past three years. Several times that damage has been repaired, only for another missile strike to destroy the power plant again a few months later. The strikes are typically conducted in the lead up to winter in a bid to break Ukrainian resolve by making the winters harder and colder. Western support in the form of air defence has been key to minimising the impacts of these strikes, enabling Ukraine to shoot down the majority of Russian missiles. 

However, at a tactical level, Russia’s ISTAR fleet is able – at times – to range freely behind Ukraine’s front lines, finding and indicating targets for long-range strikes. Without a significant quantity of short-range air defence platforms, it is difficult for Ukraine to prevent these drones from causing havoc amongst its forces and inflicting heavy losses.