UK develops low-cost long-range missiles to offer Ukraine – Bloomberg

The UK has moved closer to the testing stage in the development of relatively low-cost long-range missiles that London plans to test in cooperation with Ukraine and later provide for the needs of Ukraine's defence forces.

Source: Bloomberg citing defence officials, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Anonymous sources said the UK is developing relatively low-cost long-range missiles that will not depend on components or data from the US.

Three UK-developed systems, made by MBDA, MGI Engineering and Rotron Aerospace, will undergo testing in the UK and Ukraine in the coming months.

The UK then plans to begin providing them for the needs of Ukraine's defence forces in about a year.

Development began in late 2024 and was later accelerated.

The new missiles are expected to be less accurate and destructive than Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, but they are expected to cost about half as much. Storm Shadow missiles cost about US$1 million each.

Unlike the Storm Shadow, the new missiles will not contain any US components, meaning the UK will not be bound by any potential restrictions when deciding on their use. This was a key request from the British government amid the unpredictability that followed Donald Trump's second term as US president.

The new missiles will not be powerful enough to penetrate concrete bunkers, but their 225-kilogram warhead could still cause significant damage.

They will be ground-launched weapons with a range of more than 500 kilometres. The estimated cost without a warhead will be about £400,000, or US$529,000.

At the final competitive stage for the contract, all three manufacturers promised they will be able to produce at least 40 missiles a month.

Background:

• On 18 June, during a Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting (also known as the Ramstein format), the UK announced a new military aid package for Ukraine which will deliver 150,000 drones and more than 350 air defence missiles and radars by the end of this year.
• On the same day, Ukraine and Germany signed a defence agreement concerning the joint development of an air defence system to intercept ballistic missiles.

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