LONDON, December 4. /TASS/. The UK has shipped an additional batch of Martlet missiles, used to combat drones, to Ukraine, The Times reported.

The British authorities has not made an official announcement about the shipment of Martlet missiles, but they were first mentioned as being used in Ukraine back in 2022. In September, UK Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps claimed that, in the coming months, London would provide assistance to Ukraine in key areas, including air defense, long-range missiles and training of Ukrainian servicemen.

The laser-guided Martlet missiles can reach speeds of up to Mach 1.5. They are being produced by the Thales military-industrial group at a factory in Belfast. Thales markets this missile as a multi-purpose munition. It can be carried by helicopters, speedboats and ground platforms; these missiles can also be launched via Starstreak man-portable air defense systems, which have also been shipped to Ukraine.

The Martlet missile is 1.3 m long, has a caliber of 76 mm, and weighs 13 kg. Its payload weighs 3 kg, and the missile’s range is 8 km. The exact number of missiles shipped to Ukraine was not disclosed.