The Thales missile factory in Belfast is set to deliver 5,000 air defense missiles to Ukraine under a groundbreaking deal valued at up to £1.6 billion, as announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The agreement will leads to the hiring of 200 new employees at the factory, which is a subsidiary of the French defense firm Thales, one of Europe’s largest arms manufacturers.
This contract involves supplying lightweight multirole missiles (LMMs) already being used by the Ukrainian military. Starmer revealed the substantial order while presenting a four-point plan aimed at fostering peace and highlighting support for Ukraine in its ongoing struggles. This latest contract comes off the back of a previous agreement, which was valued at £162 million and provided 650 LMMs to Ukraine in a bid to enhance production. The first of these missiles were expected to be delivered last December.
With the latest order significantly expanding upon the previous deal, the initial £1.16 billion contract has promising potential to increase by approximately £500 million in partnership with a Ukrainian company that will help in manufacturing missiles’ launchers and command vehicles on Ukrainian soil.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, this contract stands as the largest Thales has ever received in Belfast. Defence Secretary John Healey remarked that this shipment would bolster Ukraine's defenses against drone and missile threats while acting as a deterrent against further Russian aggression, especially in the aftermath of the ongoing conflict.
The deal was arranged through the Ministry of Defence's procurement branch, Defence Equipment & Support, on behalf of the Ukrainian Government. It will be financed by a loan backed by the United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF), following a previous agreement that allows Ukraine to leverage up to £3.5 billion in support for expenditures with UK industries.
This contract involves supplying lightweight multirole missiles (LMMs) already being used by the Ukrainian military. Starmer revealed the substantial order while presenting a four-point plan aimed at fostering peace and highlighting support for Ukraine in its ongoing struggles. This latest contract comes off the back of a previous agreement, which was valued at £162 million and provided 650 LMMs to Ukraine in a bid to enhance production. The first of these missiles were expected to be delivered last December.
With the latest order significantly expanding upon the previous deal, the initial £1.16 billion contract has promising potential to increase by approximately £500 million in partnership with a Ukrainian company that will help in manufacturing missiles’ launchers and command vehicles on Ukrainian soil.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, this contract stands as the largest Thales has ever received in Belfast. Defence Secretary John Healey remarked that this shipment would bolster Ukraine's defenses against drone and missile threats while acting as a deterrent against further Russian aggression, especially in the aftermath of the ongoing conflict.
The deal was arranged through the Ministry of Defence's procurement branch, Defence Equipment & Support, on behalf of the Ukrainian Government. It will be financed by a loan backed by the United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF), following a previous agreement that allows Ukraine to leverage up to £3.5 billion in support for expenditures with UK industries.
