India to get UK missile that boosted Ukraine's firepower against Russia

The Indian Army’s tactical units will get British Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs) as part of a £350 million ($468 million) agreement the two countries have signed, The Print website reported.

Ukrainian forces have used the missile, which is also known as Martlet, against Russian troops in the ongoing war. It is a versatile weapon that can be fired by infantry soldiers or integrated with armoured vehicles, helicopters, and naval platforms.

“LMM benefits from a precision laser beam riding guidance system allowing low collateral damage, and is thus optimised for operations in air, land and naval environments. Equipped with a triple-effect warhead and proximity fuse, LMM provides a response to various threats including light armored, wheeled and tracked vehicles or aerial platforms,” according to Thales’s website.

The missile will give the Indian Army the capability to neutralise light-armoured, wheeled, and tracked vehicles, as well as low-flying aerial threats, at ranges of up to 6 km, The Print report said. It uses laser-beam guidance and can be launched from shoulder, tripod, or vehicle-mounted configurations. Weighing about 13 kg, it travels at speeds of up to 1.5 Mach. LMM has been in service with British forces since 2019.

Named after a mythical bird that never roosts, the Martlet has been integrated into British helicopter and naval units. Designed for urban warfare, it is produced at Thales’ facility in Northern Ireland.

According to the British government, the agreement “paves the way for a broader complex weapons partnership between the UK and India,” with both sides currently negotiating the next phase of defence collaboration.

A joint statement issued after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on October 9 said the deal “will enhance India’s air defence capabilities and, in the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat, address both current and future needs of the Ministry of Defence while promoting long-term cooperation on complex weapons.” 

Earlier this year, India and the UK agreed to deepen cooperation in next-generation weapons, with Thales and Bharat Dynamics Limited signing a contract to produce Laser Beam Riding MANPADS (LBRMs). The agreement includes an initial supply of High Velocity Missiles and launchers, expected to be delivered later in 2025.

The Print, citing sources, reported that the Martlet falls within the same family of lightweight, laser-guided systems, underscoring the growing defence technology partnership between New Delhi and London.