Britain Orders Hundreds More Thales LMM Missiles for Drone Defence

The GBP36 million deal is about stockpiles and production capacity after counter-drone use in the Middle East. It is not a new weapon debut, and the exact missile count and unit cost were not disclosed.

Quick read

Britain signed new contracts with Thales in the UK worth GBP36 million for hundreds more Lightweight Multirole Missiles.
The MoD says deliveries begin in the coming months and continue through 2026, supporting around 700 Belfast jobs.
The missiles have been used against drones in the Middle East, but the exact order quantity and per-unit price were not published.

Britain is buying hundreds more Lightweight Multirole Missiles from Thales after using the UK-made weapons to defend personnel and partners from drone attacks in the Middle East.

The Ministry of Defence announced on June 1 that it had signed new contracts worth GBP36 million with Thales in the UK. The order is best read as a replenishment and industrial-capacity story: the missile, also known in Royal Navy service as Martlet, is already in use across British land and maritime air-defence roles.

What happened

The new contracts will supply hundreds more LMMs to the UK Armed Forces. Deliveries are expected to start in the coming months and continue throughout 2026, according to the MoD.

The missiles are designed and manufactured in Belfast, and the government says the work supports about 700 skilled jobs there. The latest May contract follows an April LMM order, making this part of a continuing stockpile effort rather than a one-off launch of a new system.

What the source says

The MoD says LMMs have helped defeat drone attacks in the Middle East, with more than 100 drones shot down using the missiles. It specifically cited RAF Regiment gunners using the Rapid Sentry air defence kit, a short-range system tied to counter-drone protection.

The same release says LMMs are also deployed on Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters, helping defend British people, bases and allies from UK bases in Cyprus. Reuters separately confirmed Britain said it had signed GBP36 million in new Thales contracts to supply hundreds of the missiles.

Image: Rapid Sentry air defence system during a test-fire exercise - RAF image as published by Army Technology.

What is confirmed and not confirmed

Confirmed: the contracts are worth GBP36 million; they cover hundreds more LMMs; deliveries are due across 2026; the missile is made in Belfast; and the MoD links the order to Middle East drone defence and broader munitions resilience.

Not confirmed: the exact number of missiles in the order, the per-unit cost, the full inventory position of UK LMM stockpiles, or how many missiles were fired in each Middle East engagement. Those details were not made public.

Why it matters

The announcement shows how drone-heavy conflicts are changing air-defence procurement. Low-cost one-way attack drones can force militaries to spend quickly on interceptors, launchers, sensors and reloads. For Britain, LMM sits in a middle space: lighter than large air-defence missiles, but still a guided kinetic weapon for threats that electronic warfare or guns may not defeat.

Thales says it has quadrupled missile production capability in Northern Ireland since 2022 and describes LMM as laser-guided and useful across land, sea and air, especially for counter-uncrewed aerial systems. The military problem is not only whether a missile works; it is whether enough can be made and replaced.

What to watch next

Watch for three things: whether the MoD discloses follow-on LMM orders later in 2026, whether Rapid Sentry appears in more official Middle East updates, and whether UK industry announces more capacity or workforce expansion in Belfast.

NoDechev rating: confirmed order, limited quantities. Britain has signed new Thales contracts for hundreds more LMM/Martlet missiles; the exact number, unit cost and stockpile depth remain undisclosed.

Primary sourceGOV.UK: MoD announces GBP36 million LMM contracts Company sourceThales/Publicnow: missile production and LMM capability context Wire checkReuters via MarketScreener: Britain orders more LMMs from Thales Royal Navy contextThales: Martlet system reaches full operating capability NoDechev contextU.S. and Gulf air-defence pressure in Kuwait ExplainerHow Ceasefire Violations Are Verified

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Britain signed GBP36m in new Thales contracts for hundreds more LMM/Martlet missiles. This is a stockpile and production-capacity story after Middle East counter-drone use, not a new weapon debut. Exact missile count and unit cost were not disclosed.