United Kingdom has previously ordered thousands of Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) for Ukraine to counter drone threats. Over recent months it has also signed several contracts to replenish its own military stockpiles, including for operations in the Middle East.
According to the British Ministry of Defence, the agreements with Thales are worth £36 million (€41.7 million) and cover the delivery of hundreds of missiles. Deliveries are set to begin within the coming months and continue throughout 2026.
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Two recent contracts are referenced: the first was signed in April, with a second following in May. Together, they are expected to support approximately 700 jobs in Belfast.
Defense Express notes that this points to a relatively short lead time between order and delivery. While the exact contract volumes have not been disclosed, production rates would need to be fairly substantial to deliver hundreds of missiles to just one customer within the space of a year.
Britain has also disclosed that LMMs have been used in the Middle East, where they have downed more than 100 drones. Some of those intercepts were carried out using the RapidRanger air defence system, which is already in service in Ukraine and has recorded results there as well.
British forces have also employed the weapon from other platforms, including Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters — deployed both to protect their own military personnel and civilians, as well as to provide cover for allies in Cyprus.
As a reminder, in March 2025 the United Kingdom announced an order of 5,000 LMMs for Ukraine, with plans for subsequent localisation of production. In February 2026, a further package of 1,000 rounds was announced. The missile has a range of 6 km and uses laser beam-riding guidance in its baseline configuration.
It remains unknown whether Ukrainian industry has begun setting up production of these missiles or how far that process has progressed — though doing so could benefit not only Ukraine's Defence Forces but britains own stockpile situation. The drone threat shows no sign of abating and continues to drive sustained demand for countermeasures.
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