The United Kingdom has sent a large consignment of light multi-purpose missiles to Ukraine Martlet (LMM)<\/b>, designed to intercept Russian drones and low-flying targets. The new delivery is intended to cover the critically important \u00abmiddle zone\u00bb of air defence, protecting Ukrainian cities and infrastructure from massive raids by Shahed-type UAVs.<\/p>\n
The total aid package of 6,000 units was delivered in stages, beginning with the UK Ministry of Defence\u2019s initial orders in 2024\u20132025 and followed by additional batches in 2026. The weapon has already been rigorously tested in real combat \u2014 Ukrainian defenders have successfully destroyed over a hundred aerial targets using this system.<\/p>\n
The key advantage of the Martlet missiles lies in their unique guidance system and cost-effectiveness. Unlike traditional man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), which track the heat signature of an engine, the Martlet uses laser beam-riding technology<\/b>.<\/p>\n
Laser guidance offers Ukrainian operators several key advantages:<\/p>\n
Ignoring thermal traps:<\/b> It is impossible to deceive the missile by firing decoys or thermal flares.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Effectiveness against \u00abcold\u00bb targets:<\/b> The system easily intercepts reconnaissance drones and unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with quiet electric or low-power engines that generate almost no heat.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Resilience to electronic warfare:<\/b> As the laser receiver is located at the rear of the missile and is directed back towards the launcher, enemy electronic warfare systems cannot intercept or jam the control signal.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Economic balance of the PPO:<\/b> The use of heavy and expensive missiles such as Patriot<\/a> Shooting down relatively cheap kamikaze drones is a drain on military resources. The compact and significantly cheaper Martlet is the ideal solution to this problem, allowing larger systems to be reserved for countering ballistic threats.<\/p>\n Martlet<\/strong> \u2014 is a versatile weapon. The British Army has it as standard equipment on its Wildcat maritime helicopters, but in Ukraine it is being deployed on land-based platforms.<\/p>\n The Ukrainian military uses missiles in three main variants:<\/p>\nTechnical specifications of the LMM Martlet missile<\/h2>\n
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\n Parameter.<\/strong><\/td>\n Meaning.<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n \n Developer \/ Manufacturer<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n Thales Air Defence (Belfast, United Kingdom)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Rocket mass<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n 13 kg (lightweight, easy to transport)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Length \/ Diameter<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n 1.3 m \/ 76 mm<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Range<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n Over 6 km<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Flight speed<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n Approximately 1.5 Mach (supersonic)<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Combat unit<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n 3 kg, cumulative-fragmentation with a non-contact laser fuse<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Launch platforms: from shoulder-fired to armoured vehicles<\/h2>\n