Britain signed contracts for the first ballistic missile in over 50 years, seeks to help Ukraine - Bloomberg
Kyiv • UNN
The United Kingdom has signed contracts for the development of a ballistic missile to support Ukraine. Weapon deliveries are planned for the end of 2027.
The United Kingdom has signed contracts with several companies to develop the country's first ballistic missile in over half a century, in an effort to support Ukraine and reduce Europe's dependence on American weapons, Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
Details
The country's Ministry of Defense has relaxed specifications to speed up development and deliver the weapon to Ukraine in 2027, sources familiar with the matter say. The Ministry declined to comment on the change in specifications.
Defense companies participating in the program called Nightfall must successfully conduct tests before receiving contracts for missile production, sources said.
Preliminary contracts were expected to be signed by March, but they were delayed by about two months, sources said.
Test launches are expected to begin within 12 months, with deliveries at the end of 2027, they said. The development and testing of ballistic missiles typically takes more than ten years.
The program serves a dual purpose: to supply Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia's full-scale invasion, and to expand Europe's own defense capabilities in the face of less reliable American support. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was expected to promote such efforts during a visit to Kyiv on Thursday, before handing over power next week to Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester with little foreign policy experience, the publication writes.
Initially, a range of over 600 kilometers, a warhead weight of 300 kilograms, and a cost of less than £500,000 ($674,000) were envisioned, excluding the cost of the warhead, launcher, and development. Following industry feedback, these parameters were reduced to 500 km, a warhead weight of 200 kg, and a maximum cost of £800,000 per missile.
The weapon must also be capable of launching from various vehicles that can fire multiple missiles in rapid succession. It must also operate on battlefields with electromagnetic interference, while being simple enough to produce 10 systems per month with minimal foreign export controls.
The UK's last major attempts to build ballistic missiles occurred in the 1970s, when the UK upgraded the American Polaris missile to create Chevaline, which was deployed in the 1980s.
"The UK is applying lessons from Ukraine to develop military capabilities faster, using rapid prototyping, innovation, and close cooperation with British industry," a statement from the country's Ministry of Defense said.
The Nightfall project is part of European efforts to accelerate the delivery of advanced weapons to Ukraine. The new system will allow "Ukrainian forces to strike key military targets before Russian forces can respond," the Ministry of Defense stated.
"The UK is also developing low-cost long-range cruise missiles for the war-torn country, with tests already underway in the UK. This program, the Brakestop project, was launched in late 2024," the publication notes.
Earlier this week, a coalition of European countries agreed to share research and industrial expertise to create a missile defense system that will compete with or enhance American Patriot batteries.